Silver Lining
by EveCodeBattleSeraph
Summary: Sequel to Yin Yang! With the remaining El Shards still at large, the demons are working harder than ever to find them. Ara's team is needed more than ever, thousands of innocent lives are depending on their victory. But how can they fight against the demons when they can barely work together?
1. Disclaimers and Author

**WARNING: THIS STORY COVERS SUBJECTS THAT SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE OR DISTURBING. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story, all rights belong to their rightful owners.**

 **I changed/added some details to Yin Yang that will affect this story. I would suggest reading the edited chapters before continuing. If you're too lazy to reread the updated chapters, just read over Chapter 10.**

 **I have some bad news for everyone before we begin. As many of you know I planned on writing about two other couples before resigning from fanfictions. Unfortunately those stories will no longer continue. I've recently thought of a new story idea (original) and I really want to bring it life. Fanfictions, as fun as they are, take a lot of time to plan (I'm a bit of a perfection artist) and I don't want to spend any more time on them. Silver Lining will be my last fanfic. I'm sorry to anyone who were looking forward to those other stories. I will most likely publish those other stories in the distant future, but I can't make any promises.**

 **Time to address the uploading schedule. For Yin Yang I uploaded every second week, usually on a Saturday, and Silver Lining will most likely follow that schedule. However, I may only upload one chapter as school has been a nightmare so far. Please try not to ask when new chapters will come out, I'll release them when I can.**

 **Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me for so long! I really hope you'll enjoy Silver Lining as much as you did with Yin Yang. :)**


	2. City of War

The night was still. Not a single bug nor animal dared to cry out to the curtain of darkness. The sky was finally clear of its dome of clouds, allowing the silver light to pour from the heavens and into the dead woods below.

A figure cloaked in black sprinted through the remains of the green paradise. Their footsteps crunched against the carpet of fallen leaves.

The figure glanced behind, only to be welcomed by the inky bodies of the withered trees. The lone traveller averted their attention ahead and continued onwards, pushing against the invisible weights dragging their legs back.

A tree root, hidden in the carpet of leaves, caught their foot. The figure cursed as they fell, the paper grasped in their hand plummeting into the damp ground.

They cursed, scrambled to their feet, and examined the sheet in every angle.

Few leaves clung onto the paper, contaminating the page with early morning dew.

"Damn tree root." The figure huffed, brushing the leaves off.

They gingerly unfolded the paper. Even in the soft silver lighting they could still make out the scribbled words inside. They relaxed their shoulders at the still legible text.

"I should be almost there." They whispered, folding the paper back up.

Despite their burning lungs and trembling legs the figure resumed their run. They knew stopping was not an option—not after knowing the truth.

After a couple more minutes of torturous sprinting, yellow lights began dotting the path ahead. The cloaked figure smiled and slowed down to a light jog, making sure their every step was as silent as a feather. As they drew closer the woods grew less dense, and the blocky structures ahead began taking shape. The city was finally in grasp.

The figure came to a slow stop before ducking down, using the shadows of the remaining woods as a cloak. Just up ahead the traveller could see two guards, both held unsheathed swords in their hands.

A tiny voice in the figure's head screamed at them to turn back. If there were guards at the outskirts there would surely be guards inside.

 _No, I must press on._ The cloaked traveller thought, reaching into their boot until their hand found its way around a small pocket knife. _I must pass this knowledge on._

They pulled out their weapon, its tiny yet sharp blade glistened under the silver light. They tightened their grasp on the selected weapon and crept forward. The figure held their breath as a twig snapped under their foot, both guards tensed and pinned their eyes on them.

The figure held back a curse and recoiled slightly back, trying to bleed into the darkness behind.

"Hey, did you hear that?" One of the men asked.

"Yeah," the other answered. "You think it was just a squirrel?"

"In _those_ woods? I don't think so."

 _Damn, they aren't as stupid as the rumours say they are._ The traveller thought.

"I'll go check it out."

The figure's heart bounced with excitement at the approaching knight. Two roads stretched in the intruder's mind. One led to the option of running away while the other directed to bloodshed.

The knight was only meters away. He squinted his eyes, the figure shivered under his gaze.

 _I don't have time to run, forgive me._

With one swift move, the figure leaped out from their shadowy veil and sliced the tiny blade across the knight's neck. The knight coughed and choked on the crimson liquid, the sword in their hand shook.

The figure took that chance to drop the pocket knife and snatch the sword. The former knight thumped onto the ground like a rock, his partner cursed and charged toward the traveller. The figure barely blocked his blade in time, the impact forced them both to double back. The knight cursed once more as he readjusted his footing, the traveller mimicked his actions.

"Sorry," the figure whispered just as the knight came charging.

The figure leaped to the side at the very last minute, they felt the blade skimming inches past them. The lone traveller wasted no time to plunge their sword into the knight's side. Their opponent tensed at the impact before relaxing.

"I had no choice," they whispered to the corpse. "May you rest in peace."

They let go of the sword's helm and allowed the body to drop on the ground.

The figure turned their attention to the golden city ahead. Inside her citizens enjoyed their happy lives, oblivious to the evil waiting just outside their doors.

The figure picked up their bloodied knife and I inhaled a lungful of cold air. They felt their tensed muscles relax.

With a knife in one hand and a letter in the other, the figure proceeded into Velder, the city of war.


	3. Aftermath

_"Kids, I want you both to meet the leader of our neighbouring tribe, Karu." Mother pushed Aren and I toward the tall stranger in our living room._

 _"Ah, you two must be Aren and Ara." He said, gazing onto us with bright blue eyes._

 _The man was topless, bulky muscles bulged from his scarred arms. A knife, with a blue jewel embedded on its bolster, was rested in his waistband,_

 _"Yes, sir." Aren greeted with a bow. I silently mimicked his gesture._

 _"I've heard wonderful things about these kids." Karu said with a giant grin. "To think kids like them have such potential."_

 _"We train them everyday." Father explained proudly. "The effort they put in has major a role in their strength."_

 _"Aren, why is he here?" I whispered, with eyes locked onto the man's bushy eyebrows._

 _"He's here to meet our parents," he whispered back. "Try not to act weird, you'll scare him off."_

 _I held myself back from punching my brother._

 _"I am honoured to meet your children." He said, stroking his long brown beard. "I'm curious to know which one you see the most potential in."_

 _"That's not an easy answer," Father let out a stomach rumbling laugh. "One of them will hate me either way."_

 _Karu chuckled at his answer._

 _"If I had to choose…it would be Aren. He is very strong for a boy his age."_

 _I felt the world go still. All the training and work I've done seemed to melt into the veil of Aren's shadow. I bit my lip in response to the tears tickling my eyes._

 _Don't cry, I thought to myself sternly. Whatever you do, don't cry in front of this stranger._

 _"Yes, the boy does look stronger." Karu replied. "I can see him as the dominant sibling."_

 _"He often beats Ara in practice fights, t-though there are times when his sister outsmarts him." Mother added, as if to make me feel better._

 _Aren cleared his throat, catching all the grown ups' attention." Umm...I'm only stronger because I'm older."_

 _Karu arched his brow at my brother's comment," what are you implying, boy?"_

 _"I-I just think it's unfair to compare Ara to me. Umm...she doesn't have as much experience a-and I know more techniques than her." He stammered. "S-so yeah..."_

 _I couldn't hold back the giant smile stretching on my face. I grabbed his sweaty hand and squeezed it—it was a wordless 'thank you'._

 _The man's eyes softened on him," you care about your sister a lot." He pointed out._

 _"Y-yeah." Aren squeezed my hand back. "S-she's my annoying little best friend."_

 _"I'm not annoying." I tried to pull my hand away but Aren kept a tight grasp on me._

 _"You keep telling yourself that." Aren flashed me a toothy smile._

 _"Kids, behave yourselves." Mother smacked us both lightly on the back of the head._

 _We bowed and quickly apologized to the man._

 _"You've got a couple of lovely kids." Karu laughed. "I'll be sure to visit them the next time I come. I'm positive they'll turn out to be a fine set of warriors."_

"Ara, are you awake?" A soft feminine voice rippled through the darkness, accompanied with a rhythmic beeping.

I groaned, my throat felt like sandpaper.

"Take your time. You've been out for a couple of days." She added.

I crack my eyes open but they were instantly shut from a blinding white light . It took a couple more tries before I could fully open them again. Once I was awake, someone pressed a glass cup against my lips. I happily gulped the cool liquid down my dry throat.

"Feeling a bit better?" The stranger asked once I had drowned the cup of water.

I averted my eyes to the owner of the voice, it was Echo, Ruben village's best alchemist. Her messy silver hair was in tangles and dark bags hung under her eyes.

"I think so." I answered, giving the empty cup back to her.

I darted my eyes around the was the hospital-like room. A tiny nightstand was to my left, empty glass bottles littered its counter top—my fox hair pin was among the mess. Turquoise curtains were stretched on either sides, separating me from the neighbouring patients.

"What happened to me?" I croaked.

Echo furrowed her brows," you don't remember? Man, how hard did Elesis hit you on the head?"

Elesis? Why did Elesis hit me on the head?

Just as that thought crept into mind, the memories came punching me in the face.

I recalled going to Feita Temple shortly after Amos, a Ponggo child adopted by Eve and Raven, was kidnapped by the demons Lu and Ciel. Flashes of Rena and Aisha's sacrifice blinked through my head like a slide show. They both used the secret skill, an attack so powerful that it drains the life energy of the user, to protect us from an army of demons summoned from a portal.

I grit my teeth, cursing under my breath.

They all died because of Scarlet, a demon whom I thought was a human. It was Scarlet who devised the plan to release the army of demons, who forced my friends' souls to do her bidding; she purposely made us suffer so the Dark El's power could activate.

She also did something to my brother; I know she did. Aren wouldn't dare stand by the demons' side.

My blood felt like acid as I reminiscenced about Scarlet's betrayal. Though I'd like to put all the blame on Scarlet, it wasn't entirely her fault. I was the one who allowed her to go through with the plan. If I wasn't so naive I could've stopped any further disaster.

In retrospect, I had numerous chances to kill her. Instead, I lowered my guard and allowed her to plant a knife in my back.

"I learned about what happened when I came to Velder." Echo dropped her voice to a light whisper. "I'm so sorry about your loss."

"V-Velder?" I quoted shakily. "W-why are we in Velder?"

Echo bowed her head. Her hands were turning white around the empty glass cup.

"E-Echo," I persisted. Her hands were shaking now. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know how to tell you." She whimpered.

"Just answer my question. What happened in Feita?" I closed my hands into fists. "Tell me, Echo."

Echo's shoulders tensed. She sucked in a sharp breath and raised her head. Our eyes met, I took quick notice of the tears dancing in them.

A lump formed at the back of my throat upon gazing into those tired, emerald eyes, they looked so similar to Yang's, my Ancient Phoru. Yang died protecting me from my brother Aren; Aren was also the cause of Aisha's death.

If I hadn't been paralyzed with shock when I first saw him, Aisha would still be here. If I wasn't hesitant to kill him when I had the chance to, Yang would still be alive.

To be fair, Aisha and Yang died because of me. I had the chance to save them, but I allowed it to slip through my fingertips.

"You were all saved thanks to Elesis' troops." Echo began slowly." They were sent to retrieve your team after you guys went off to Feita Tower alone. I-I heard they walked into quite a messy fight."

Messy wouldn't even begin to describe it. It was horrendous, blood pooled on the ground like a lake. Echo is extremely lucky to not witness that scene.

"They tried fighting the demons back, but the enemies proved to be too strong. Elesis was forced to call retreat. Shortly after Elesis retreated, flying demons were seen all around Elrois. T-they showered each city and town with papers, e-each one proclaiming war between humans and demons."

"War?" That word alone made my blood go cold.

"Demons started attacking small towns and villages-"

I cursed a little too loudly than intended," Echo, w-what happened to Ruben?"

Echo's lower lip trembled. That alone was enough to knock the air out of my lungs. I slumped into the bed, speechless.

Any normal person would cry, punch a wall, or scream at the new information. I just laid in my bed, expressionless, eyes pinned on the white ceiling. I wanted to feel something—anything, but I remained numb to the tragedy.

What was wrong with me?

"I had some time to gather my belongings before leaving Ruben...er I-I went through your room and packed a few things for you...I hope you don't mind." She added hesitantly.

"That's fine," I answered robotically. My mind was too occupied with the newly declared war than to care about someone snooping through my things.

"A-anyways, it seems like you're doing much better now." Echo desperately tried to change the subject. "M-most of your team came to yesterday. They're meeting today to learn more about our current situation, you should join them."

I wanted to vomit at the thought of seeing my friends again. To them I was a traitor, I befriended the demon that murdered their two beloved friends. Would they accept the truth; or will they assume I'm lying?

"Hey, you look like you just saw a ghost." Echo snapped me out of my daze. "Are you okay?"

"I'm afraid-" I stopped myself mid sentence.

I know that I should be honest and tell her the truth, but after seeing how everyone else reacted I doubt she'd want to be around me anymore.

"U-uh it's nothing." I darted my eyes to the side. "I-I'm just a bit shocked about the whole war."

"Tell me about it." She replied, oblivious to my lie. "I was so shocked I couldn't eat for a day."

She bent down and grabbed something from under my bed.

"I have your robe here. I cleaned it so don't worry about smelling bad." Echo took out the backpack I wore to Feita and dropped it on my lap.

"Where's my spear?" I asked.

"Your spear and all your other belongings are in a knight's bedroom, you aren't going back to Ruben so this is your home for now." Echo's voice tightened at the mention of her former village. "I-I'll guide you there later tonight."

"Thanks." I reached out to my bag and pulled it closer.

"Now let's get you unplugged and out this room."

* * *

Echo guided me out the infirmary and into the halls of Velder Castle. The hall was carpeted with crimson red and walls clothed with stone. Worn pictures of past royals hung on my right, each one seemed to shine in the sunlight seeping in through the windows across. Knights marched the halls with unsheathed swords.

I would've given the grand castle more praise if it weren't for the paranoia blinding me from her beauty.

All I could think about was the way my team would react. How could I explain myself without sounding shady? Would they still be willing to lay their trust on me?

The more I pondered the faster and harder my heart hammered. Soon enough my legs evolved to jelly, I wasn't sure if it was due to my fear or the fact that I had just woken up from a long slumber.

'Eun, what should I do?'

 _I would suggest explaining yourself to them. If they are your friends they should understand._ Eun, a demon trapped in a hairpin, responded calmly.

'But what if they don't understand? What will happen to me then?'

Eun gave no response.

I cursed under my breath as we passed a couple of middle aged maids. The women scoffed at my choice of words, deliberately picking up their pace.

"This is the Mess Hall," Echo announced as we entered into the opened room.

Rows of wooden tables were lined through the massive room. Sunlight poured in through the long windows, its radiance bouncing off the smooth countertops. Chandeliers, bathed in diamonds, hung from above, each one glimmering in the cascade of light.

A waft of beans and potatoes hit me in the face, but not even the essence of food could calm my nerves.

I sheepishly followed Echo in, spotting a large group huddled at the end of the room—my stomach was doing flips as we drew closer. My friends sat around one table, eating their meal in complete silence. Elesis and Lowe, they were both Red Knight Captains, paraded around the table like Knights guarding their king.

"I have Ara here." Echo called out to the group.

My face flushed the instant my friends turned to look at me. No one said a word nor cracked a smile, they all stared at me with the same blank expression—except Amos, who greeted me with a grin.

"I'll see if the chefs can make an extra meal-"

Speka, Aisha's twin sister, jumped out of her seat before Echo could finish. She zipped away from the table and charged straight toward me, those dark purple eyes screamed with vengeance.

I didn't get a chance to react as her bony fist collided into my face.


	4. Strangers

I staggered back, cupping my throbbing nose. Speka didn't waste a single second to attack again, tackling and pinning me on my back.

"You're the reason Aisha is dead!" Speka screamed, colliding another fist to my face. "You befriended the enemy; h-how could you be so cruel?!"

I squeezed my eyes shut as she pelted me with punches. The physical beating hurt, but it felt like a pinch compared to the guilt now eating through me.

"Enough!" Someone pried Speka off me.

I cracked open my eyes again, thousands of tiny stars dotted my vision.

"She killed my sister!" Speka screamed, her voice bouncing through the empty room.

I helped myself up to a sitting position, stars continued to taint my sight. In the dark mesh, I spotted Elesis holding Speka by the shoulders, the Mage trashed in her grip like a wild animal.

"She did not," Elesis' grunted. "Now calm down and take your seat."

"No, I will not!"

"Speka, I'll have to knock you out if you don't behave." Elesis warned.

"I would suggest listening to her, Speka. Do not make us throw you in the dungeons." Lowe rolled her name out uncomfortably, most likely holding back the urge to call her by Aisha's name.

Speka snorted," whatever." She allowed herself to relax.

Once sure the mage would not attack again, Elesis freed her. Speka shot my a nasty look before proceeding back to her seat.

"Ara, are you okay?" Echo rushed to my side. Her jaw dropped as she scanned over my face. "I think I have a potion to treat bruising."

"I'm fine," I replied almost instantly.

"Are you sure?" Elesis piped in softly.

"I said I'm fine." I replied, shakily helping myself back on my feet.

"Suit yourself." Elesis shrugged. She gestured to the crowded table. "Take a seat, we have a lot to talk about."

Great, the last thing I wanted to do was sit with a bunch of people who probably hate me.

I bobbed my head and made my way to the table. Almost all of my friends locked their eyes on me, observing me like a zoo animal. Only Amos and Chung had their full attention on the food in front of them.

I took my seat toward the end of the table. Elsword, who was closest to me, grunted and shuffled away.

A suffocating silence fell on us once I was seated. Some of my friends kept their eyes glued on me while others resumed eating. No one, not even Elesis or Lowe, squeaked a single word. I was thankful when Echo placed a plate of mashed potatoes and beans in front of me. Despite my lack of appetite, I was grateful to have something to turn my attention to.

"We had a grave defeat in Feita." Elesis began after what felt like hours had passed. "I have also learned some rather interesting information from my brother."

I dropped my spoon, its pitched shriek rattled through the Hall before succumbing to silence.

"Firstly, I would like to apologize for your loss." Elesis' comment made everyone tense. As for me, it felt like someone reopened past wounds and poured salt over it.

"It's all Ara's fault." Speka spat.

Her immediate answer made me wish the ground should swallow me whole.

"We are not going to point fingers." Lowe piped in coolly.

"She's not wrong." This time it was Elsword who spoke up. "She befriended the enemy behind our backs. I wouldn't be surprised if she shared information with them."

"I didn't share information." I defended. All heads turned to me, under their eyes I felt like an ant.

"How can we believe you?" Eve challenged, her voice colder than ice.

"I-I talked with her but I never revealed our plans." I searched the table for someone to believe me, but I was only greeted with glares.

"I don't believe it." Raven dropped his gaze onto his half empty plate.

"Maybe Ara is telling the truth." Amos whispered.

"Amos, please stay out of this." Eve answered tightly. "You are too young to land proper judgement."

"But she helped me back in Altera." The young Ponggo persisted.

"Just because she did one good thing doesn't mean she isn't evil." Chung snapped.

His sharp words sliced into me like a sword, embedding an unseen wound into my back.

At the corner of my eye I saw Echo taking a seat beside me. Her simple gesture was enough to keep me from breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.

"But I didn't know she was evil," my whisper trailed off into silence. At this point my words meant nothing to them.

"That is enough!" Lowe hammered his hand on the table, our plates and utensils clattered at the hit.

Lowe eyed the table, daring someone to utter another word. "You guys _are_ a team. This bickering needs to stop _now_."

"Ara's the reason we're like this, old man." Speka muttered. Lowe flared his nostrils at her comment.

"Since you're all so concerned about Ara, why don't we ask her?" She turned her eyes at me. Blood rushed to my cheeks at her suggestion.

"Ara, did you tell that demon about your team's plans?" Elesis interrogated. I opened my mouth just as she added," and don't think about lying. We _will_ find out, and when we do, you'll wish you were never born."

"I-I didn't say anything to her." I wanted my voice to come out loud and clear, instead it wheezed out in a trembling whisper.

"Oh? Then what _did_ you talk about?" She pressed on. Everyone at the table seemed to tense.

That question made the tears spring into my eyes. The answer was simple yet it would only drive the knife deeper into my friends' back.

"P-personal stuff. S-she was my friend." I squeezed my clammy hands into fists. "I-I thought she was my friend." I added grudgingly.

"I see," Elsis replied, surprisingly calm. "So you were manipulated by that demon. It's not completely your fault."

"Seriously, Sis? You aren't gonna punish her or something?" Elsword seethed through closed teeth.

"I can't punish her for being naive." Elesis said matter-of-factly, that only seemed to make Elsword tense further. "We'll punish accordingly her if she's lying."

"That's unfair! She-"

"That's enough, Elsword!" Elesis raised her voice, silencing her brother in an instant. "We have important matters to discuss."

"The Harmony Festival, a time to celebrate peace, is happening tomorrow." Lowe began tightly. "Many Knights are returning for the newly declared war, but our numbers are still low."

"We need all the help we can get and your team is perfect for the army." Elesis added.

"What?" I blurted. "But we still need to find the El Shards."

Someone in the group clicked their tongue.

"Unfortunately, after your team's last performance, we are reevaluating your capability to have such a mission." Elesis' response made Eun flare with anger. If it weren't for me, Eun would already be out and attacking Elesis.

"B-but…" I tried to reason. "O-our team alone discovered three Shards-"

"We lost a Shard thanks to you." Elsword reminded me.

"We also lost my sister because of you." Speka added sharply.

That's how the table stirred to life again, this time nearly everyone was throwing their insults and accusations at me. Elesis and Lowe tried to calm them down, but their voices were drowned in their acidity. Their every word were sharp as knives and venomous as a snake's bite.

I bowed my head, my dark hair fell over my face, but I didn't move it away. With my face now covered by my hair I allowed the tears to fall. Every word they spat pierced into my heart like daggers, cutting and dismantling what is already broken.

"I've had enough!" Elesis hammered both hands on the table. Every seemed to jump at her outburst.

"Velder is one of the only kingdoms that still haven't been breached by demons." Elesis explained with shaking fists. "I want _all_ of you to go on patrol and assure our citizens' safety. We will take care of your kid while you're gone. Are there _any_ objections?"

She scanned the entire table with reddened cheeks. Everyone dropped their eyes under her ferocious gaze.

"Let me get your spear real quick," Echo whispered. She hopped off her seat and ran out of the room.

I wanted to call out and beg her to not leave, but she was gone before I could utter a single word.

"Good," Elesis said flatly. "Now go on patrol while we reevaluate your team's capability to keep that Shard."

"Fine." Elsword huffed.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Lowe added as we grudgingly shuffled our way out of our seats. "There's a lot of people who want that Shard out of your possession."

* * *

The streets of Velder were lively, to say the least. Confetti of all colours littered the ground, rebellious balloons rose into the cerulean sky, and music blasted from almost every corner. Booths offering games and food attracted people of all ages. Children ran down the streets without care while adults enjoyed the afternoon sun with friends and family.

The odours of various foods blended harmonically into the air, if my situation wasn't so bleak I would be craving for a snack. The laughter, the music, and mouth watering scents blended into one incoherent blur, they almost felt insulting.

How could people be so happy when so many died to protect them?

I trailed behind my team as we snaked through the street, it felt wrong to walk amongst them. I was a traitor. I didn't deserve to walk beside them.

"Mommy, can I get some cotton candy?" A passing child asked.

"You already had one." The mother responded, clearly upset at her child's request.

 _Ara, can you explain why cotton is so loved by humans? I do not understand what makes it so appealing to the stomach._ Eun asked, genuinely curious.

"Hey, there's cotton candy here." Elsword chuckled dryly. "Too bad she can't enjoy it anymore."

The lump at the back of my throat grew but I refused to let the tears out.

"Sis would've enjoyed all the sweets here." Speka added nonchalantly. "I'll tell her about it when I visit her grave."

"I-I'm sorry, okay?" I added quietly. "What else do you want from me?"

My heart dropped to my stomach the instant Elsword stopped walking. The rest of the team caught on quickly and halted shortly. I unconsciously took a step away from him.

Elsword shook with laughter, but it wasn't the kind you'd hear after telling a joke. It was a laughter raw with anger, an alternative to yelling.

"I'm sorry too," he turned his head back. Shivers crawled down my spine upon meeting those murderous red eyes. "I'm sorry that I had to take _you_ in. If _you_ weren't here Aisha would still be with us."

"I-I know what I did was wrong, b-but I promise to make it up." I shook with every word.

Elsword's face flared with red," how will you make it up?" He turned himself around and marched toward me, both hands closed into fists beside him.

"I-I don't-"

I froze the moment he brought a fist up.

"Are you gonna bring her back from the dead?" He punched me hard on the shoulder. I stumbled on my feet, but managed to keep my balance. "Can your apology give her back to us? Do you have the power to turn back time and change things? I don't think so!"

"W-what do you want me to do?" I stomped my foot. A single tear trickled down my cheek, I wiped it on my sleeve before anyone else could notice. "I don't want things to s-stay like this forever."

Elsword opened his mouth to respond but Ching intervened.

"Can you two idiots calm down?" Chung grabbed Elsword's shoulder and pulled him away from me.

I was grateful he came to the rescue, but I had a distinct feeling he didn't do it to protect me. He kept his eyes glued on Elsword, never bothering to look at me.

"Chung is right," Speka piped in, her eyes darting around us. "People are staring."

"Who cares?" Elsword pushed Chung off him. "They all get to see how evil this traitor is."

"I-I didn't know Scarlet was evil," I explained, desperately hoping they'd listen to me. "S-she seemed so trustworthy and-"

"I could careless if people hear me." Elsword went on, ignoring my comment completely.

I didn't bother to continue talking. What was the point anymore? Why should I bother trying when no one wanted to hear my side of the story?

"We'll get in trouble again." Chung darted his eyes side to side. "It's a matter of time before word gets out to Elesis and Lowe."

"You're just trying to defend her." Elsword snapped. "You're siding with that traitor 'cause you have a thing for her."

Chung cursed, despite the many innocent ears nearby," I want nothing to do with a demon. She's dead to me."

His words stung more than acid. I bowed my head, propelling the salty tears down.

"Hey, Chung, watch your mouth." Speka chided.

"Quit actin' like you're a goody two shoes like Aisha." He shot back.

Speka flared her nose," s-so what if I'm acting like Aisha? I'm her twin, I think I have the right to be like her."

"You can act like her but you are nothing like your sister." Eve piped in. I could imagine Speka grinding her teeth together.

"At least I'm kind like her, unlike your moody friend Rena." Speka spat.

"Don't you dare speak ill of Rena." Raven's voice thundered.

I kept my head down as the hate once targeted on me spread out. Even without looking up, I could feel the gaze of the crowd gluing onto us.

This wasn't right. Friends should've fight like this.

I held my breath and perk my head up, "g-guys, please stop fighting." I begged.

Everyone turned their anger back to me, all their eyes screamed with anger and disgust. I swallowed, but refused to recoil under their glares.

" _You_ don't have a say in what we do." Elsword sneered. "If it weren't for Elesis, I would've killed you already."

"That won't bring Aisha back." The words left my mouth before I could comprehend what I was saying. Someone in the group gasped.

I turned my eyes away from him, cheeks flushed from both anger and tears.

He threw a combination of curses at me, unfortunately, each word spoken made the needles in my heart sink deeper.

"Just because Elesis is protecting ya', doesn't mean I won't make your life a living Hell!" Elsword bellowed

A deafening roar, accompanied with vicious tremors, pierced through the city before I could respond. Children ceased their blissful laughter and replaced it with ear splitting screams. The tremors disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The remanence of the explosions; however, continued to ring in the air.

"W-what was that?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"M-maybe something happened to the fireworks?"

The earth trembled once more as sirens blared through the entire city. In an instant the crowd abandoned the various booths set up for the day and ran. Knights patrolling the area shouted over the crowd, directing them away from the festival.

It didn't take long for the culprits of the attack to enter the stage. Just beyond the incoming wave of people an army of demons, adorned in glistening armour, stormed in.


	5. Consequences

"For our bright future!" The demons proclaimed as one.

The demons' comment only erupted further screams from the crowd. The torrent of people pushing past us broke off into a sprint, making it nearly impossible to stay planted on my feet.

Elsword gave me one last nasty glare before turning his attention to the invaders.

"Damn demons—"Elsword drew both his swords"—Focus on the front lines and try to keep the attackers controlled. We'll focus on the demons further back once the crowd had cleared out."

No one said a word as they charged toward the enemies. I didn't like the way they responded to Elsword, but I kept my mouth shut and followed them in.

Due to the incredible torrent of people we were forced to slow down. Once we managed to snake out from the crowd we took action. As ordered, we focused on the demons in the front lines. For the first minute or so, the fight was smooth. Velder Knights accompanied us at one point, they all seem to have the same plan as Elsword.

Issues arose when archers from the back began pelting arrows down on us, as a result, the remaining citizens refused to move in fear of being struck. I couldn't help but curse at the people left frozen on the spot, cowering under the storm of arrows.

"Raven, I refuse to fight in conditions like these." Eve said in between breaths.

"I understand," Raven responded as he leaped back from an incoming arrow. "Should we take down the archers?"

"Yes," Eve snapped her fingers, summoning Oberon and Ophelia with a flash of light.

"What?! You two can't just bail on the plan." Elsword sliced his swords at a demon, both blades clanged uselessly against the armour.

"We will die if those archers continue to fire!" Eve snapped, her two servants sliced down an incoming demon behind her.

"I said we'll worry about that later!" Elsword swung his swords down again, this time, the blades successfully sliced through the armour.

"Most the people are now gone, Elsword." Raven came to Eve's defence. "We can proceed in."

"I said no!" Elsword side stepped, barely missing the falling arrow. "Now shut up and listen to my orders!"

I could taste the tension buzzing between Eve, Raven, and Elsword.

I leaped back from the group of demons attacking me and awakened Eun's power. The enemies froze at my drastic change in appearance. I took that golden opportunity to attack.

"Moonlight Slash!" I charged forward and swung my spear horizontally, an orange shockwave shot out from my blade. Several of my targets were blown back while others managed to withstand the hit.

"I refuse to listen to your orders." Eve's comment made my heart drop.

"I'm with my Queen." Raven added. "Listening to you will only lead to trouble."

"There's still people around!" Elsword reminded them, failing to suppress the anger in his voice. "We can't just leave the front lines, they might get hurt."

"Majority of the crowd are gone, Elsword." Eve countered. "We _can_ move on."

"No we can't!" Elsword thundered. "There's too much of a risk-"

Raven and Eve didn't stick around to listen any further. With a blink of an eye, the duo charged head first into the army, Eve's two Nasod servants trailed behind and fought off any demons wanting to sneak up on them.

Elsword roared with frustration, hands tightening around his dual swords. "Chung, go get them back," he ordered.

"Are you sure you want me to help? Didn't you say I was siding with a traitor?" Chung said as he launched five glowing blue orbs into the crowd. Puffs of blue smoke burst to life upon hitting their respective targets.

"Are you serious, man?" Elsword replied incredulously. "Can you stop acting like a spoiled brat for one second?"

Chung hammered his cannon on the ground, denting the ground upon impact," don't talk to me like that!" He turned his head toward Elsword, teeth clenched.

"Guys, this isn't the time to argue." I piped in.

"You stay out of this!" Chung snapped.

I ignored the invisible dagger digging into my chest and pushed a nearby demon away. Two other demons, from opposite sides, sprint toward me. I jumped out of the way just barely in time.

"Chung, those two idiots are gonna get killed in there." Elsword pressed on.

I made a quick glance up ahead. Raven and Eve's tiny figures could be seen amongst the bloodthirsty crowd. Several Knights were already in to get them, unfortunately many were falling to the hands of the enemies.

"So you want me to throw myself into that crowd alone?" Chung scoffed. "Fine, I have no problem with dying."

A blazing white aura erupted around Chung. His armour responded to the burst of energy by encasing his face with a protective head piece.

"Stop talking back to me," Elsword's face was almost as red as his hair.

"I'll stop when you quit yelling at me to do your dirty work." Chung stormed into the army, though not in the direction of where Eve and Raven was.

Aisha's words about running head first into a group of demons rung in my head. If she were here, she'd scold Elsword for upsetting Chung.

"You're all useless!" Elsword erupted in a red aura and plunged both blades down into a single demons head, its skull crunched under his swords.

"No wonder my Sis was so angry with you." Speka muttered, summoning a poisonous gas into the crowd. "You're annoying and a terrible leader."

"You know nothing about Aisha's relationship with me." He boomed. Hurt flashed Speka's eyes the instant those words shot from his mouth.

"I know her better than anyone." She pointed her staff at Elsword and fired a purple orb at him.

Elsword sliced the orb apart, breaking it into purple particles, before it could hit him," why are you here anyways? You're not part of this team." He challenged.

She cursed and stomped her feet, cheeks reddening from both the tears and anger.

"Stop acting like you're Aisha." His comment was the last straw. Speka screamed and charged straight toward him.

"Guys, stop fighting!" I urged, but that didn't stop the spells from launching at Elsword.

Elsword cursed at her," you asked for it." He drew toward her, both swords ready to slice her into pieces. Thankfully Speka teleported out of the way before he could swing.

"Guys, w-what are you doing?" I watched in horror as Speka attempted to shoot another spell at Elsword—thankfully he blocked the attack. "S-stop fighting!"

My voice was covered from the cries of the battle. Though demons were continuously charging in, I could only see one fight, a fight between trusted friends.

The ground shook once again, this time it was strong enough to cease the fighting among friends and enemy.

"Finally, we are in Velder!" A deep masculine voice reverberated through the city.

A colossal demon, half the size of the towering downtown buildings, came marching to sight. It trudged down the street as if it was out for a walk in the park. Dark armour protected the entirety of his head, shoulders, parts of hits arms, and lower body.

"Glory to our Master!" The demon roared, thrusting a fist into a neighbouring building.

The building snapped in half, like a tree branch, and collapsed. I covered my mouth with my shaking hand. It felt like a dream to watch that building, filled with innocent people, collapse into curtains of smoke.

"I've been wait for this day!" The demon cackled.

I instinctively backed away as the new enemy continued forward. The demon nonchalantly walking over parked cars, trees, and even human bodies. He swung its bulky arms wildly to the sides, ensuring each building he passed met the same fate.

"T-that thing is too strong." One of the Knights stammered.

"W-we lost too many." Another soon added.

"W-we're getting out of here."

No, we can't leave now. If we leave the city will be in danger. A voice in my head screamed.

I scanned over the large crowd. While some demons parted to make room for the massive beast, others stuck around to catch and slaughter any retreating Knights. Chung, Raven, and Eve were amongst those retreating, but thankfully they kept their guards up.

I pinned my eyes on Elsword and Speka. They both had eyes glued on the incoming demon, their weapons shook in their whitened hands. Without saying a word, the two turned around and followed the retreating Knights.

 _Ara, we should retreat as well._ Eun suggested grudgingly.

I couldn't move my legs even if I wanted to. A part of me yearned to run into the chaos and protect the city with my life, another part begged me to follow the crowd and leave.

The giant demon huffed at their retreat," get them." He ordered, the army sprung into action in an instant.

Their heavy footsteps hammered as one. The voice that urged me to fight was quickly covered by the roars of the enemies.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and followed the retreating crowd.

* * *

"Have you all gone mad?!" Elesis hammered her fist so hard on a neighbouring table I thought it'd snap in half.

We were back in the empty Mess Hall, this time with the doors closed. Our team was standing by a table, our heads bowed as Elesis yelled at us for our actions earlier.

We were lucky to outrun the demon army. Reinforcements came to our rescue shortly after the castle was in sight. When we returned, Echo and Allegro performed a quick check up on us before sending us to the Mess Hall where Elesis and Lowe were waiting. To say the two were furious would be an understatement.

"It was Eve and Raven's fault for not listening." Elsword accused once his sister was finished speaking.

"Elsword this isn't the time-"

"Don't you dare speak ill about my Queen." Raven cut Elesis off; he unsheathed his sword.

"You think I'm scared of you, Nasod boy?" Elsword reached for his swords, but he was stopped promptly by Elesis' response.

"Put the weapons away or I'll chop both of your heads off." She warned. Something flickered in her eyes, seemingly affirming her statement.

Elsword huffed and lowered his arms, Raven reluctantly withdrew his sword.

"You did well, Raven." Eve placed a firm hand on Raven's shoulder. "I can rely on you better than Elsword."

"What did _I_ do wrong? Last time I checked, you bailed on the plan." Elsword's face was quickly flushing with red.

Here we go again.

"We had arrows raining down on us." Eve shot back. Raven held his arm out to keep her from attacking. "It would have been best to defeat the archers first."

"Excuse me, you aren't the leader. You should have shut up and listened to me." Eve's jaw dropped at his answer. If Raven wasn't holding her back she would've slapped him, twice.

"You make a horrible leader." Speka muttered. Elsword, unfortunately, heard her comment and narrowed his eyes on her.

"What did you say?" Elsword seethed through clenched teeth.

Elesis' eye twitched.

"How can you tell your own teammates to _shut up_?" Speka gestured to everyone in the group.

"You have no say in how I run _my_ team." His comment made her hands ball into tight fists. "I didn't have to bring you along, Speka. In fact, I didn't want to bring you along."

"Why? Because you can't get over my sister?" Speka's eyes widened for a brief second, as if regretting her choice of words.

"Now, now," Lowe piped in calmly. "There's no need to-"

"Y-you're a Dark Mage." Elsword choked on his words. "You're a-as trustworthy as a demon."

Speka swiped her hand across his face before any of us could process Elsword's response. Elesis and Lowe gasped at the attack while the rest of us remained silent.

"I-I hate you." She pushed past the group and stormed out, slamming the wooden door behind her. No one bothered to call out to her.

"Elsword, that was unnecessary." Elesis darted her eyes between her brother and the closed doors.

"Who cares?" He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "She was never a part of this team anyways."

"You should stop comparing her to Aisha." Chung suggested.

"You're one to talk." Elsword turned to face him. "All you ever did was sulk and compare everyone to Rena."

Chung tightened his jaw and took a step toward him," leave her out of this."

"Why? Because you still can't get over her?"

"You son of a-"

"Stop talking!" Lowe interjected. Both the guys froze at his words, but refused to break eye contact.

"Your fights have caused more than enough trouble around here." Elesis began to scold. "Many of our soldiers have supposedly died because y'all were too busy fighting amongst each other instead of helping them. Tell me, are those reports true?"

This time no one spoke a single word. Elesis pounded her fist down on the table again.

"I had a knight report your team's argument during patrol." She added, her voice dangerously quiet. "As if your performance during the fight wasn't bad enough." She muttered.

Elsword finally broke eye contact with Chung. Elsword looked as if he wanted to speak up and take the blame for initiating the team's fight, but the words never left his mouth.

"So tell me," Elesis went on, continuing with her calm facade. "Which one of you started the argument?"

Elsword, once again, seemed torn to stay quiet. I grit my teeth at his lack of response, but I couldn't stay mad at him.

The fight wasn't completely his fault. Yes, he was the first one to argue with everyone, but it was because of me that he reacted the way he did. If I wasn't part of the team he wouldn't have hurt his friends.

"I have all day," Elesis folded her arms. "We're staying here until I get an answer."

"I-I started the fight." I spoke up before I had the chance to evaluate my actions.

Eun sneered at my response but I ignored it. Elesis, on the other hand, looked as if she was ready to kill me.

"Is that so?" She glanced at her brother skeptically. Elsword bowed his head, refusing to respond. "Why did you provoke your friends? Do you understand how unprofessional that was?"

"I-I didn't l-like how everyone was avoiding to talk about m-my former friend, the demon." I looked to the side. "I-I kept annoying them until they finally snapped."

Elesis didn't seem to believe me at first. I was about to add onto my already twisted lie just when she took a step toward me. Every muscle in my body tensed.

"Do you have any idea what you did?" Elesis seethed through closed teeth.

"I-I know." I tried my best to act guilty. "I-I was being insensitive."

"While I doubt your little comment caused your friends to go haywire during the fight—"she narrowed her eyes"—there's no doubt you need to learn respect. I'll be sure to punish your accordingly."

The muffled sounds of the battle raged in the background.

"You all have to work something out." Lowe said after a moment of silence. "We can't have you fighting with each other. You're a team-"

"I don't care anymore." Elsword cut him off. Elesis eyebrows furrowed the instant he said that. "I hate working with these people—especially that traitor."

"Elsword," Lowe dropped the tone of his voice.

"Lowe, I hate being around these people." Elsword raked a hand through his tangled hair. "I can't stand being around them. I-I swear I'll go mental."

"That's quite a bold claim," Lowe's jawline tightened. "Then tell me, what do you propose on doing?"

"I want to disband this team." Elsword answered instantly.

The world came crashing down at his response. The blood in my veins seemed to freeze, leaving me shivering on the spot.

"Are you sure?" Not a hint of emotion could be heard from Lowe's voice. "Are you willing to give up all your friends? To give up all the progress you made together?"

"To Hell with memories!" Elsword waved his arm dismissively.

Elesis's lips twitched into a frown," and what do your...friends think?"

"I am okay with that." Eve answered. "I would much rather work with someone smart and reliable."

"I'm with Eve." Raven answered next.

No, this can't be real. I must be stuck in some twisted nightmare. This team wouldn't break apart—not after all the success we've been through together.

"I was hoping he'd say that." Chung scoffed.

If Aisha and Rena was still here they wouldn't want the team to break. They would somehow find a way to make things work out. This is all my fault. I'm the reason they aren't here to resolve the problem.

"Looks like majority agrees with disbanding." Elesis said, more solemnly this time. "Then it's settled-"

"N-no," I found myself suddenly blurting.

All heads turned to me. My friends stared at me with hardened eyes while Lowe and Elesis seemed to pity me.

Ignoring the tears streaming down my face, I forced myself to speak up," w-we can't disband. T-there's still so much we need to do."

"If you're referring to the El Shards then I have bad news for you." Lowe replied hesitantly. "After your team's performance today...let's just say you guys are deemed irresponsible to take on this task."

"What?" I whispered. Those awful words replayed in my head over and over, each time impacting me with greater force than the last.

"D-don't worry," Elesis quickly added, a forced smile formed on her lips. "W-we'll lock the Shard up and give it to a strong team after the war is over."

My legs collapsed underneath me. No one came to my side as I fell to the ground like a rock. No one came to see if I was alright when the tears took me in as its prisoner.

"S-so it's officially settled." Elesis continued.

I clawed my hands into my hair and shook my head, praying that I'd wake up and escape from this nightmare.

"From this day forward this team will be no more. Come back tomorrow morning to be assigned to your new team." She paused. "I-I will take the El Shard now."


	6. Harmony Festival

I was directed to my room shortly after the heartbreaking announcement of the team's disband. A castle worker guided me down the curving stone hall and to my new room. They left me to settle in shortly after guiding me to the nearest washroom.

The bedroom room (if you could even call it that) was as big as a walk-in closet. A narrow bed was pushed in the far corner, a black duffle bag rested on its pillow, I could only imagine it was left by Echo. A wooden nightstand stood in between the bed and the opposite wall. Surprisingly, a small wooden closet was able to fit inside and sat parallel to my bed. An opened window, covered by green curtains, stood over the nightstand.

I closed the window, dropped both my spear and bag on the stone ground, and flopped onto the bed. The mattress let out a wheezing squeak as I bounced on its hard surface.

 _We can track down the El Shard and continue our search alone._

"Eun, please stop talking about that." I said, dragging the duffle bag over to me.

 _You can't escape this subject forever._ Annoyance sparked in its voice.

A burning anger sparked from its response. All I wanted was some comfort; why couldn't Eun see that? What made it think I wanted to talk about the El Shards?

I huffed and unzipped the bag. Peering inside, the first thing to welcome me was a wrinkled sheet of paper.

"Echo didn't mention anything about leaving me a note." I thought to myself out loud. "Maybe she stuffed the wrong thing in my bag."

I threw the sheet onto the ground. It fluttered with grace before resting beside my spear.

I dug through the remaining contents, throwing out random pieces of clothing, until I came across a golden chain. I gasped and ripped the golden necklace out. Though it hung limply from my fingertips, I felt the warmth and love of my parents radiate from it.

"Mother," I choked on my words. "I-I miss you and Father so much."

I took off the blue pendant Chung gave me and threw it haphazardly onto the pile of clothes on the floor. I replaced the pendant with my Mother's prized necklace.

"Mother, Aren has turned-" I stopped myself. I couldn't finish the sentence. It broke my spirit to speak so ill of my brother, especially to my parents.

"Sorry," I clasped our family crest on my hands and squeezed my burning eyes shut.

That's where I stayed for hours, crying to the parents I could never see again; to the friends I've lost to death and my own mistakes.

The room was clothed in darkness when I finally deprived myself of tears. Silver moonlight snaked through the cracks of my closed curtains and streaked into the inky space. Though my windows remained closed, I couldn't help but tremble.

A knock on the door broke the silence, but I didn't answer.

"Umm...I'm coming in." Echo's muffled voice called from the other side. "S-say something if you don't want me to enter."

I opened my mouth to speak but my voice betrayed me. I tried again but not a single sound escaped my throat.

The door squeaked open. Echo popped her head in, her green eyes seemed to shine in the silver light.

"I had a feeling you were still awake." She helped herself in, closing the door behind her.

What do you want? I wanted to ask, but once again I failed to produce even a squeak.

She climbed onto the hard bed and sat beside me. I felt the warmth of her arm as it pressed against mine.

"Elesis told me about your outburst during patrol." Echo went on uncomfortably. "I-I guess it can't be helped. Stress can really bring the worst out of us."

I wish stress was the cause of Elsword's anger, but I doubt that alone is enough to change him so dramatically. Once again the blame falls on my lap; how surprising.

"Elesis was pretty lenient on your punishment." Echo added hastily. "You're helping me organize potions. She expects you to do three shifts with me before this month is over. J-just track me down when you're free."

Crickets beyond the cold, stone walls sang into the night. Their unified voices blended together, orchestrating a symphony to the slumbering city.

"How are you doing?" She asked softly.

I don't want to be here. I want to go home, go back in time, and be with my family. I can't stand the things I've done to the people I care about; I can't stand being...me.

"I'm fine," I shrugged.

Echo scratched the back of her ear," s-so I heard the demons attacking were pushed out of the city. W-we've amped up security to prevent another attack from happening."

Too bad we failed to protect the people trapped in that buildings. If I didn't destroy my team's relationship, we would've been able to save those innocent lives.

"You hungry or something? I think there's still some left over food."

I shook my head, my curt response plunged us into an awkward silence.

"Ara," Echo pulled her legs up to her chest. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Lie?" I repeated emotionlessly.

"You weren't actually _that_ shocked about the war, were you?" I felt her tensing up beside me. "You were actually scared to confront your friends, weren't you?"

"H-how did you…?"

An empty smile stretched on her face," I'm not stupid, Ara. Just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I'm ignorant."

I knew you should've told her, a voice chided in my head. Look what you've done now. Your only friend probably hates you for lying to her. She might not trust you anymore; are you proud of yourself?

"Sorry," I sniffled. That word sounded so hollow, so useless to me now.

Echo shrugged," whatever, I'm over it."

She's only saying that to make me feel better. I don't deserve her forgiveness, she knows that as well as I do.

"I hope you know I'm here for you. I'll listen to you." She told me softly. "I doubt you had much time to talk to someone about Aisha and Yang."

The mention of Aisha and Yang made something snap in my mind. The pain associated with Aisha and Yang flooded back, stronger and fiercer than a pack of hungry lions.

"S-stop." I shook under the tears.

"Ara?" Echo eyes pinned onto me with confusion.

"Get out." I pointed my shaking hand at the closed door.

"Ara, what's-"

 _"GET OUT!"_ She yelped at my sudden outburst.

Like a child trying to escape punishment, she jumped off my bed and literally ran out my room, slamming the metallic door shut behind her.

 _Ara, she was only trying to help._ Eun seethed. It was evidently mad at my response to Echo.

"S-she doesn't understand." I hiccuped, clasping a hand over my heart. "N-no one understands."

 _Ara, you know she speaks the truth._

"S-stop trying to act like you know!" I shot my hand up and grabbed the hairpin.

 _Stop acting like a child and listen to us. Your stubbornness is the reason you got yourself involved with-_

Without a moment of hesitation I threw Eun to the opposite wall. The hairpin collided to the wall with a loud _clang_ before falling silently onto the floor.

I curled myself into a ball and collapsed onto my pillow. I allowed the tears to rain down, my flat pillow catching each droplet like a bucket.

Eventually I grew tired from the crying and fell into a silent darkness. And as if the current pain wasn't enough, I was forced to relive that awful day in Sander that very night.

* * *

I jolted up in a cold sweat the next morning. The unfamiliar surrounding only made it harder to breathe. Once I was awake and settled into the morning gloom, I helped myself up and sat with my back against the wall. The pelting water outside my window was the only thing to keep me company.

I didn't know how long I was seated for until noise began stirring outside my door, I knew I'd have to leave the room at some point.

I dragged myself out of bed, picked up Eun from the ground (who greeted me with silence), and exited my room.

After a quick shower, I made my way to the mess hall. Though it was still early, many knights were already up and seated with their friends.

I mindlessly followed the crowd, got my food, and sat myself closest to the windows. Chatter and laughter stirred around me, reminding me of my loneliness.

I played with my piece of toast and eyed the rest of my breakfast. It was a typical scrambled egg dish accompanied with waffles, none of which made me want to stomach it down.

I pried my attention from the food and stared out the window. Tiny water droplets stuck onto the glass like bubble wrap, every second the watery coat was refreshed by a new layer brought by the rain. I found strange satisfaction from this endless cycle.

A group of Knights took a seat at my table. I held my breath and prayed they won't talk to me.

"Did you hear about the two Knights that died the other night?" One of the Knights asked.

"Yeah. Did they catch the murderer yet?"

"No, but ever since those two died weird things have been happening." Someone else added. "Knights have been showing up dead left and right. I heard that new captain disappeared yesterday from patrol."

"That's so creepy."

Knights showing up dead, eh? That's to be expected if the demons have declared war, right?

"Ara, I was looking for you." A red haired knight slipped into the seat beside me, seemingly oblivious to my mood.

"Good morning, Elesis." I pried my eyes from the window and locked them onto my plate.

"Man, you picked quite a seat. Out of everybody, you were the hardest to find." She went on, pretending to not notice my swollen eyes. A part of me breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her subsided anger toward me.

"I'm here to assign you to a new team."

"D-does everyone already knows their new team?" It was hard not to choke on my words.

"Pretty much," she answered curtly. "Hey, I know this is hard for you, but it's _really_ not that bad."

Easy for her to say. She wasn't the one who jammed a knife through everyone's back.

"Everyone was paired up with a friend so y'all won't be too lonely." She added, as if that could bring a smile on her face.

"That's cool," I mindlessly stirred my food with a fork.

"You're with Chung." She paused, as if waiting for me to jump to my feet and cheer. When I responded with nothing but silence she went on. "Y-you guys are on Vanessa's team. Of course it's not as cool as _my_ team, but I promise you two will like it."

I doubt Chung would be happy to be stuck with me. Who'd want to be around me anymore? I was just a dirty traitor; a filthy demon.

"Is that all?" I asked, not bothering to even bat her an eye.

"You guys will need to meet with your leader as soon as possible—Vanessa meets her team at the castle library."

I bobbed my head, half-paying attention to her words.

"A-also, you guys are prohibited from speaking about the El Shards." Elesis added in a whisper.

I dropped my fork," what? W-why?"

Elesis shifted uncomfortably on her seat," the Red Knight Captains don't want you guys resuming the search, they fear y'all will get ideas if you're free to talk about the Shards." She dropped her voice to a soft whisper. "That also means you guys won't be allowed to train or be together without supervision."

There's no need to implement that rule. No one wants to be near each other anymore.

"I-I tried reasoning with them, but they wanted to do everything they could to keep you guys away from that Shard." Elesis patted my back. "Sorry."

Lightening flashed, breaking the inky blackness of the storm. Roaring thunder followed shortly, plates and utensils clanged under its might.

Elesis sighed," I'm sorry things had to come down to this."

She dropped head down to meet my eyes. I turned my attention to the window.

"I don't like seeing y'all like this, but if you guys can redeem yourselves, there might be a chance you can be a team again."

"Would we be able to look for the Shards again?" I blurted. Though the thought of going on another journey made my stomach twist.

"No, it's too risky to hand it back to a team who is deemed irresponsible. I hope you understand." Elesis answered.

Eun sparked with anger at her response. I wonder if Eun will continue to stay despite never searching for the Shards again. I wouldn't blame Eun if it wanted to leave me as well.

Elesis' blurred reflection pointed at my untouched plate," you gonna eat that or what?"

Before I could answer sirens blared to life from the outside, the chatter ringing through the hall seized at once. In an instant, knights popped up from their seats and rushed out the hall, leaving their dirty plates abandoned on the tables.

Elesis cursed and jumped out her seat," an attack today?! Half our Knights aren't even back yet."

"Do you need help?" I asked, silently praying she'll turn down my offer.

"If I was your leader, yes." She replied. "Vanessa will be too busy to meet you today, try to meet her tomorrow morning, preferably at eight."

She paused for a second," well, _if_ there is a tomorrow." She whispered.

I didn't bid her 'goodbye' when she took off running to join the other Knights. I instantly regretted my lack of response. For all I know she could die during the fight.

The muffled cries of the battle sounded outside. Even within the safe castle walls, I shivered at the fight's terror.

The cold food on my plate no longer held my interest, even with an empty stomach, I felt like vomiting.

I got up from my seat and made a quick scan of the hall. Nearly everyone was gone, all except my friends, who positioned themselves at different tables—only Raven, Eve, and Amos were sitting together.

I bowed my head and made my way out the room. Outside the Mess Hall, knights ran through the shadowy corridors to meet their teams. Castle workers sprinted up and down with hands over their ears, desperately trying to shield themselves from the cries of war.

I could already picture the blood of both sides melting into the pools of rainwater, mixing and churning together until they became a single crimson puddle.

Thunder roared above the raging battle, stimulating more rain drops to pelt onto the servants of war.

I shrieked as the ground shook at an abrupt explosion. I rested my hand on the stone wall before my legs could drag me down.

"Ara, are you okay?" Echo's voice sounded behind me.

She rushed to my side before I could respond, Allegro followed behind her. She scanned over me with those wide emerald eyes, Yang's face instantly flashed through my head. I blinked, fighting back the anger and pain threatening to make an appearance.

"I'm okay," I said, lifting my hand off my support.

"No offence, but you look awful." Echo knit her brows together. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"That depends on how you define sleep." I answered truthfully.

Another explosion shook the castle, though this time it was further away. We struggled to stay in our feet, but it wasn't enough to knock us down.

"Echo, we should get going." Allegro urged. "They'll need us to heal."

Echo tightened her lips," I-I know." She placed a firm hand on my shoulder and added," after I'm done I promise to talk to you. Just get some rest while I'm gone, you look like you need it."

"S-sorry for dragging her away, A-Ara." Allegro readjusted his glasses.

"She'll understand, don't worry." Echo released me from her grip and grabbed onto Allegro's arm. They took off without another word, disappearing into shadows looming ahead.

"Rest." I couldn't help but chuckle. A word that once left me in crippling fear now radiated with comfort. "Yeah, I need some rest."

I dragged myself down the hall. Lightening flashed on occasion, casting shadows along the stone wall. The royal paintings I passed seemed to follow me with their beady eyes, silently judging my every move.

It felt like I had walked an eternity before I reached my room. I swung open my metal door and was instantly welcomed with a blast of bone chilling air. I shivered and forced myself to step inside, closing the door behind me.

The green curtains clothing my window danced with the air and water flying in. A single white sheet of paper rested on my damp nightstand. I could see some of its blue ink bleeding into the damp page.

I pried my eyes from the mysterious paper and averted my full attention to the empty bed, the nightmares hiding within its shadow seemed to welcome me with open arms.

I didn't think twice before flopping onto the rock hard bed. For once in my life I yearned for the deceiving arms of sleep.


	7. New Beginnings

**MAJOR SHOUT OUT TO THE GUEST WHO WROTE THE SUPER LONG REVIEW ON YIN YANG! I love reading reviews like yours, it helps me know what I'm doing right and what I still need to improve on. I wish you used your fanfic account to write it 'cause I wanted to respond so badly! You're the real MVP!**

 **Next chapter will be late. I'll post it once my new beta reader goes over it. She'll be responsible for better chapters (mainly fight scenes) so be sure to thank her for that!**

I woke up at various hours due to thunder, explosions, and nightmares. While my body yearned for me to get up, my mind refused to move an inch.

That's how I spent the entirety of my day, laying like a rock in my bed. The wind and rain left me in a constant chill, but I'd lost all energy to get up and close the window. I quickly paid for my actions the following morning.

When I first came to my nose was stuffed and my throat was on fire. I curled into a ball and hugged myself, shivers crawled down my spine and spread to my arms and legs.

I laid there for minutes, though it felt like hours. The comforts of my bed kept me chained in one spot.

 _You cannot stay like this forever._ Eun chided.

"I don't care," I coughed. "It's hard to get up."

 _That is because you are sick._ Eun sighed with frustration. _Serves you right for leaving that window opened._

Yeah, it is my fault. Everything has always been my fault. I'm sick because I was too lazy to close the window, Aisha is dead because I couldn't fight back, and Yang died because I wasn't strong enough to fight Aren. There's only one word to describe me, selfish.

 _Call Echo over to treat you._

"No—"I sneezed, consequently shooting snot out"—I don't need her help." I said, wiping my face dry with the back of my hand.

 _Can you stop being stubborn and just accept her aid?_ Eun growled.

"No, I don't deserve her help." My eyes burned at those words. "I-I don't deserve any help."

Eun was starting to grow angry. I could feel its blazing rage building up, adding onto my own agitation.

 _What is your problem? Why is it so hard for you accept help?_

"You don't understand, Eun!" I snapped. "No one understands."

 _Of course no one understands! You never confide in your allies for help. How can you expect others to help you when they do not know what is wrong?_

"Can you shut up already?!"

I glared at the stone ceiling, heart racing and blood pounding through my head. I waited for Eun to respond, to scold me for yelling at it, but I was only greeted with silence.

I fought against my selfish desire to stay in bed and sluggishly dragged myself up. I probably took five minutes to properly get up on my feet, normally that would've taken me seconds to do.

Once up, I gingerly took a step forward, sending my world into a vigorous spin. I rested my hand on the damp nightstand, squeezed my eyes shut and cursed. It felt like hours had passed when the room ceased its movements.

I blinked my eyes open once the dizzy spell had run its course. The first thing to greet me was the mysterious paper left on my nightstand, its surface now wrinkled from the abuse of the rain.

How _did_ this paper get in here?

A passing breeze made my green curtains flutter to life, the icy air sent goosebumps down my arms.

I cautiously took the wet paper in hand and unfolded it. Much of the blue ink inside was smeared with rain water, mixing some of the words into illegible blurs. I scanned over the page slowly.

 _Harmony festival...attack will purposely be directed to...don't focus on castle or else the city will be destroyed...more attacks will come...know you're low on Knights...don't know how longs you'll be staying...leave...don't have much time...last El Shards will be taken._

The last line made my blood turn cold. I reread the letter several more times, hoping to pick up on any extra details.

"H-how does this person know about the Shards?" I whispered, hands now trembling.

 _It is concerning how this stranger knew where to find us._ Eun piped in, its voice was empty of emotions. _It also makes me worry about the Shards' safety. How many more people know about this?_

"Yeah, maybe we-"I stopped myself from continuing. Flashes of my team's recent fight played through my head. I grit my teeth," y'know, it shouldn't matter to us." I ripped the wet page in half.

 _How can you say that?_ Eun's anger pounded through my head; the room started to wobble again. _We should immediately figure out which side they are on, especially since they have knowledge on the Shards._

"We can't look for the El Shards anymore." I reminded Eun curtly, throwing the paper haphazardly on the floor. "It's not our problem."

 _Just because we were told that does not mean we need to listen._

"What's the point, Eun?" I challenged. "We have no team, we lost all of our friends; we have no one on our side anymore. How can you expect us to get those stupid Shards alone?"

Another icy breeze fluttered in, cooling the tears in my swollen eyes.

 _So this is it then? You no longer want to search for the Shard; you want to break the promise you made to me?_ Eun said, its voice unusually calm.

"Eun, I've been stabbing everyone in the back." I found myself chuckling at the truth. "Who's to say I won't do that to you?"

 _I do not know what to say to you anymore._

"Feel free to find a new partner if I'm too selfish for you." The words slipped carelessly past my lips. A voice at the back of my mind pleaded me to apologize, but I couldn't bring myself to say ' _sorry'_.

 _Thank you for the suggestion. I will gladly consider your suggestion._ Eun snapped.

I cursed and hammered a fist onto the wooden nightstand. As if losing all my friends wasn't bad enough, now I could lose Eun—that thought alone plunged daggers into my heart.

The war has just started and I already want to surrender. There's nothing left to fight for. What's the point in continuing when I have nothing to protect? What's the point in living when no one wants me around?

* * *

The Mess Hall was unusually quiet today. Unlike yesterday, many tables were empty. Those that were here sat amongst their friends, but no one spoke a word to one another, if they did it was in hushed whispers.

Ignoring the unusual mood, I got my food and sat at the table I chose yesterday. Despite going without dinner the previous night, my stomach twisted at the thought of consuming food.

I pushed my plate away, closed my eyes and rested my head on the table. The room went on an aimless spin, making breakfast even more unappetizing.

"G-good morning," Echo's voice sounded.

I squinted an eye open to see Echo taking a seat beside me, Allegro sat himself down beside her.

"Hey," I pried my head off the table. Stars cluttered my vision the instant my head left the table top.

"You look worse than yesterday." Echo pointed out immediately. Her emerald eyes examining me with worry.

"I appreciate your compliment." I dragged my plate closer and pretended to gain interest in eating again.

"Right..." Echo kept her eyes glued on me. "Ara, you look like you're running a high fever. Are you feeling okay?"

Yeah I'm okay. I don't feel like crying anymore—in fact, I don't feel anything anymore.

I shrugged, continuing to play mindlessly with my food.

"Hey, sorry about not seeing you yesterday." She thankfully changed the subject. "Things got crazy and I just didn't have time."

I'm surprise you still wanted to see me, I wanted to say. Instead I answered," it's cool."

"Man, the storm yesterday was crazy. Half our medical supplies got soaked..."

I zoned out as she rambled on about the previous day's struggles. Though her attempt to start a conversation with me failed, Allegro was quickly engaged on the topic. The two alchemists took off in a detailed conversation about yesterday's disasters, I was once again thrown and forgotten on the sidelines.

I didn't know how long I was sitting there until I remembered about the meeting with Vanessa. As much as I yearned to stay locked up in my room, I knew I had to go meet my new team.

"Echo, where's the library?" I finally decided to butt in.

Echo instantly stopped herself from continuing her talk with Allegro and averted her attention to me. Her eyes widened the moment she realized what she did.

"A-Ara, I'm so sorry-"

"I need to meet Vanessa." I cut her off. Her apology meant nothing to me, just like how my apology held no meaning to my…' _friends'_.

"You should eat something first." Echo gestured to my untouched food. "You'll need the energy."

"I'll be late if I don't leave now." I said, purposely ignoring her comment.

Echo flared her nose," Ara, you can't go out there on an empty stomach."

I clenched my teeth at her persistence. Couldn't she tell I didn't want her help?

"Echo, just tell me where the library is." I went on, holding back every urge to hurl my plate across the room.

"No," she answered defiantly. "You're not going anywhere until you eat something. I'll talk to Vanessa for you and-"

"Can you stop telling me what to do?!" I unintentionally hammered both hands down on the table, clattering our plates and utensils.

Several curious heads turned our way. I bowed my head as blood rushed to my cheeks.

"What's wrong with you?" Echo replied in a whisper. "I-I want to help you, but all you do is yell at me."

"Help?" I quoted tightly. "You're being more nosy than helpful."

A gasp sounded from Echo.

A part of me wanted to apologize, but I had a distinct feeling a simple ' _sorry'_ wouldn't fix a thing. I forced my eyes locked onto the ground, not daring to look at the girl I just hurt.

"H-hey, t-that was unnecessary." Allegro piped in sheepishly.

"Can someone just tell me where the damn library-"

"Keep going down the hall until you see a set of wooden doors." Echo answered flatly.

I ignored my twisting stomach and forced myself up. I didn't say a word to her as I turned to leave.

"And sorry about being _nosy._ " I heard her add." I'll be sure to leave you alone next time."

I followed Echo's instructions, winding my way down the long stones halls. Warm sunlight poured into the castle, banishing the shadows from tainting the castle's interior. Even when I was basking in the sun's embrace, I still felt cold in my bones.

A set of polished wooden doors eventually came into sight. Each one had the Velder Emblem carve onto its smooth surface. On the other side of the door I heard a muffled voice speaking, I could only assume that was Vanessa.

I pushed the doors open and stepped in.

The library was smaller than I had expected. It was a square room, its walls were lined with towering wooden bookshelves, every shelf was stacked with various leatherbound books. A stone fireplace sat at the end of the room, squished between two shelves. The library had not a single window, it was only lit with lamps.

The middle of the room was occupied with a long wooden table, where a blue haired woman and a silver haired man were seated, they both faced the library entrance. Knights, seated on the floor or leaning against the shelves, all turned to look at me.

"Ah, look what the dog dragged in." The stern-faced woman, Vanessa, gestured toward me. I recognized her as the woman I met in Elder—it was after we saved the city from demons.

"Van, that isn't very nice." The silver haired man locked his eyes with me and smiled. "We should welcome our new Knights with a smile."

"That'll make 'em weak, Noel." Vanessa answered curtly, helping herself up to her feet.

"Don't mind her," the man laughed uneasily. "She's grumpy without her morning coffee."

Just as Vanessa opened her mouth to speak, the doors burst open again," sorry I'm late." Chung came charging in.

He unknowingly crashed right into me, plunging us both on the ground. Chuckles erupted from around the room. I hurriedly shuffled back on my feet, Chung mirrored my actions.

Vanessa put her hands on her hips," we are _very_ glad to have you both join us." She rolled her eyes in between us.

Chung scratched the back of his head," s-sorry." His cheeks flared with red.

Vanessa hummed and sashayed toward us, her heels clicking against the stone floor with each step. Chung evidently grew tense at her approach.

"Ara and Chung," she dragged our names slowly. "I've heard many things about you two."

Chung swallowed as she stopped inches in front of us. Her cyan eyes rolled onto Chung first.

"I heard you lost an important friend in the past." His eyes widened at her knowledge, even I was taken aback." Poor thing couldn't even move on. I hope that won't affect you in battle, boy. I will not tolerate an emotional break down during this war."

"Y-yes, m'am." He forced himself to lock eyes with the woman.

She didn't say a word before rolling her eyes onto me. I took a sharp breath in and held it.

"And _you_ ," she began, eyes trailing on me with disgust. "The infamous demon possessed girl."

The knights gasped at the information. One by one they averted their attention on me, eyes widened with fear. I balled my fists and scowled.

"You were so fascinating when I first met you. Too bad you betrayed your own team and went to befriend the enemy."

"W-why are you announcing this?" I managed to whisper.

Vanessa's lips curled into a smile," I did my extensive research on you two beforehand, I knew _what_ I was working with. It's only fair the others know about the truth too."

She turned to her team," you heard me, fellow knights. This young lady betrayed her friends back in Feita, as if being a medium to a demon wasn't bad enough. I highly suggest keeping an extra eye on her."

"I didn't mean to hurt anybody." I mumbled.

"Of course you didn't." She scowled.

I bit on my bottom lip to stop myself from cursing her out.

Vanessa's eyes darted to the sides before leaning toward us. "You two are permanently expelled from the El Shard search, and it's my job to make sure you don't get any _funny_ ideas. If I hear a peep about the El Shard from either of you—"she sliced her finger across her neck"—do you understand?"

"Y-yes, m'am." Chung and I answered.

A smile curled on her lips," good." She leaned away. "For your sake, I hope you won't forget that warning."

She turned herself around and began her way back to Noel, her white Velder cape fluttering behind her.

"W-why don't you two take a seat?" Noel laughed uneasily.

I bowed my head and proceeded toward a relatively empty spot in the room. I mutely sat myself down, the knights around me scoffed and shuffled away.

"We have been asked to eliminate the demon that first terrorized the city." Vanessa began, not bothering to fill Chung and I in on the city's condition. "It caused some difficulties during yesterday's attack, and we believe it'll be best to eliminate that particular threat first.

"You lovely people will be accompanied by Elesis' team." Noel added lightheartedly. "Remember to listen to the two leaders carefully, you could die if you don't."

I don't think anyone would care or a traitor like me died out in the battlefield.

Vanessa then proceeded to list out the various positions each knight will take. It felt like forever when she finally reached me and Chung.

"And as for the rookies." She frowned. "As much as I'd like to throw you two in the back, Elesis insisted on letting you take the front lines."

Murmured erupted at our positions. The knights didn't bother to hide their discontent toward me.

"Be nice to the rookies," Noel spoke over the crowd, but that failed to quiet them down. "Elesis assured us that they were strong."

"Why are we letting a demon lead the attack?" A knight spoke up.

"Are you sure it's safe to bring a demon along?" Another added.

"I don't like the idea of having these clowns at front lines either," Vanessa piped in, her booming voice quieted the crowd almost instantly. "But Elesis insisted they would help greatly the battle. She is usually right, but I will test how true her words hold today."

I doubt that alone was able to erase the negativity toward me, but no one spoke up about it.

"Let's move out, Elesis is waiting for us." Vanessa began her way to the exit, everyone took that as a queue to follow her out.

"Good luck, team." Noel waved us off—why he wasn't joining us in the fight was beyond me.

I was purposely pushed by my new team mates as I proceeded out. Elesis and her team were awaiting us just outside the library doors, Eve, Raven, and Amos stood among the crowd.

"It's Ara and Chung!" Amos' face lit to life. Raven held him back just as he was about to run over to us.

"I told you not to talk to Ara." Raven scolded.

"But she's a friend." Amos feebly attempted to free himself from Raven's grip. "I miss being with her and everyone else."

"You're bringing a kid along?" Vanessa scowled at Amos.

"I'm here to drop him off with Noel." Elesis answered calmly. "He can't just wander this place alone."

I narrowed my eyes on Vanessa while Amos continued to complain about Raven's strict rules.

"Amos, we are not friends with demons." Eve glared at me.

I grit my teeth and turned my head away from her.

"I-I don't think Ara is bad." Amos persisted.

"You're too young to understand." Raven scooped Amos up in his arms." Now where's Noel?"

"He's still inside." Vanessa gestured to the library doors. "Make it quick, we don't have time to witness your kid's temper tantrum."

Raven scoffed at the woman but didn't comment any further.

"I don't need to be looked after, I can fight too." Amos insisted.

"It's too dangerous out there. You're better off here." Raven answered.

"But, Raven, I promise I'll follow orders." Amos' complains disappeared behind the wooden doors.

"I still can't believe you're assigning the rookies in front lines." Vanessa folded her arms together.

"Trust me, these four Knights are more than capable of handling a demon." Elesis reassured with a grin. "I promise you won't be disappointed with my decision."


	8. Rematch

In order to enter the depths of the city, we had to first go through the survivor's camp. The camp was located just outside of Velder castle. Tiny tents were squished together amongst the debris of infrastructure, its people were shivering, dirty and wrapped in old bandages. Knights patrolled the camp like it was a prison. Several survivors begged us to let their children and elderly stay within the castle, but they were quickly silenced by the patrols.

It felt like forever before we left the camp. Elesis softly reassured us the survivors all had food and protection, but that alone couldn't ease our minds.

Elesis and Vanessa led us through a section of the city. Mountains of debris sat alongside abandoned, hollow buildings. The streets, once buzzing with laughter, was now littered with the bodies of humans and demons. Knights scurried around the scene, dragging human bodies away from their resting place. Occasionally shockwaves would ripple through the area, making the dead building groan.

At one point I feared the note I found held some truth, that the city was destroyed. I quickly dismissed that idea as we were only travelling through one section of Velder. Another part of the city could still be standing, still buzzing with people.

"The demon should be close." Elesis said as the ground shivered, this time its movements came with greater intensity.

"Keep your guards up!" Vanessa added.

We trudged forward, our combined footsteps crunching against the rubble beneath.

"Demons sure are terrifying." Eve noted nonchalantly. I had a distinct feeling her comment was directed at me.

"It's a good thing we left Amos behind." Raven added. "Anything could hurt him out here."

I wanted to respond to their comments, but I couldn't find the energy to fight back. I wasn't sure if it was because of my lack of food or my burning fever.

"It's scary how evil our own friends can be sometimes." Chung piped in nonchalantly.

"It is terrifying indeed." Eve agreed.

It's also scary how little your friends trust you. I wanted to add.

Biting down on the insides of my cheeks, I forced myself to remain quiet.

You cannot fully blame them. They did hear you admit your friendship with the enemy after all. Eun spoke up for the first time since our argument.

'Oh, so now you're turning against me too?' Eun's comment only made my head spin faster.

I am not turning against you, I am just trying to let you see the bigger picture.

'Yeah, I get it. I know I'm selfish and insensitive, you don't have to point that out to me.'

Eun growled with frustration but didn't comment any further.

The tremors spread through the city once more, this time, returning with a vigorous temper. Elesis and Vanessa both tensed as the shaking dragged on. The constant quake only made me more disoriented, it felt like I was stuck on an endless roller coaster.

"It's here." Elesis was quick to draw her massive sword. "Everyone, ready for battle!"

I gazed up ahead. A familiar wrestler-like demon came charging in the distance, kicking hills of debris down along the way. A crowd of smaller demons trailed behind it.

My heart hammered upon witnessing the wrestler-like demon's intense size again. Every limb weakened and shook. I found strange satisfaction from my body's response, it reminded me that I was still alive; still capable of fear and pain.

"Front lines, prepare to charge ahead." Vanessa ordered as she drew her slender sword. Compared to Elesis' sword her weapon looked like a twig.

"Archers and Mages, prepare your attacks." Elesis added.

The demon, along with its followers, howled with laughter as they continued forward. The closer they drew the harder it was to keep on my own feet.

"Archer and Mages, release the first wave!" Vanessa pointed her sword forward.

With a blink of an eye, the skies were dotted with arrows and magical spells. The colossal demon skid to a quick stop, stirring up clouds of dust behind and brought its buff arms up to its face. Arrows and spells proceeded to rain down on the giant, mercilessly pelting every inch of its body.

"Front lines, attack now!" Elesis ordered once the first wave of attacks had run its course.

Without a second to waste, we charged toward our target.

The sprint forward quickly deprived my lungs of air. I helplessly watched as I fell behind the group, forgotten and stranded my team's dust.

Elesis was the first to leap in the air, with one swift move she slashed down on the massive beast's shoulder. The demon howled with pain and doubled back, crushing some of its allies as a result. Everyone was up in the air and attacking shortly after her, pelting the beast with attacks, while I was still catching up.

Ara, are you sure you can fight? Eun asked, encasing me with its power. Even with Eun's strength I still found it a challenge to keep my legs moving.

"I-I don't know." I wheezed just as my vision suddenly grew blurry. I squinted my eyes at the fuzzy figure ahead.

I...can fight in your place, but even that will be a struggle. You are just too ill to hold your ground.

"I-I can fight." I gasped in between breaths. My legs yearned to slow down but I refused to cave in.

Knights zipped past me and toward the incoming raid of demons. I unknowingly slowed to a light jog, wheezing and gasping for air. The battlefield and her dangers mixed into one incomprehensible blur, my mind could barely focus on the task at hand.

Ara, there is an incoming demon!

Eun suddenly took over and leaped back, but not even its quick reaction could bounce us away from the incoming blade.

I screamed as a sword dug into my right shoulder, leaving behind a burning wound. I staggered back and averted my attention to an armoured demon, its sword now tainted with red.

"All humans will suffer the way we did!" The demon roared just before charging toward me again.

I sluggishly brought my spear up to block its attack but my movements proved to be too slow.

The sword's blade made contact again, this time digging just shy of my rib cage. I let out a deafening scream as the demon forced its sword out, freeing the stream of blood from the wound. I collapsed onto the ground, my spear inching dangerously to the edge of my fingertips. Eun's power instantly dissipated.

My heart was hammering in my chest, lungs demanding for more air. Though my body screamed at me to fight and survive, my mind yearned for the comforts of death.

"F-finish the job already," I coughed, looking up at my soon-to-be killer.

The demon smiled and raised its sword over its head. Eun attempted to take over but I fought back its control.

Ara, what are you doing?! Eun snarled. It sounded panicked, as if it cared about my well-being.

'It'd be better if things end like this.' I squeezed my eyes shut, readying myself for the fatal hit. 'No one wants to keep a traitor around.'

Dying will not fix anything, Ara.

'But it will make everyone happier. I had it coming, Eun.'

An image of Mother and Father flashed in my head. I can't be sure if they'd be happy to see me again, but it didn't matter. All I wanted now was to return to my family; they're the only ones who'd be happy to see me.

"Sonic Blade!" Elesis voice boomed into my ear. The demon screamed at the attack before falling silent, a thumping noise followed shortly after.

"My goodness, Ara, what happened?!"

I cracked my eyes open to find Elesis kneeling down beside me. Her ruby eyes lit with worry as she examined my two injuries.

"I-I'll be okay," I tried forcing myself to sit up, but the burning pain kept me crippled on the ground.

"We need to get you help." Elesis said, helping me to a sitting position. I grimaced at the rippling pain. It felt like someone had set my wounds on fire.

"I-I can still fight." I insisted.

"Ara, you've been stabbed twice." Elesis snapped. "You're in no shape to fight."

I ignored her and attempted to stand up. Elesis placed a firm hand on my shoulder and pushed me down," I won't let you keep fighting. You're gonna die if you keep going like this."

That's what I intend on doing.

Before she could get another word in, piercing screams echoed through the battlefield accompanied by earth shattering quakes.

We instantly darted our eyes on the raging battle. The colossal demon was now fighting back. It hammered its mountainous fists on our Knights, crushing them like helpless ants. Mages and archers proceeded to attack the demon, but their assaults failed to even draw its attention away.

"C'mon, we need to get you help." Elesis draped my arm over her shoulders and pushed me up.

She quickly guided me away from the battle, every step we took sent shot pain through my weak body. I bit down on my lip to keep myself from screaming.

"Eve, look out!" I heard Raven's pierce through the crowd.

I turned my head, toward the bloody fight, just in time to see Raven pushing Eve away from the giant's incoming fist.

Eve's face drained of colour as she watched her faithful guard take the hit for her. He was thrown back like a rag doll, his sword flying out of his possession. Raven crashed limply onto the blood-stained ground, no doubt adding to the carpet of red.

I swallowed down the lump growing on the back of my throat. It felt surreal to see Raven laying on the blood stained streets, motionless. A part of me refused this was real, Raven was strong after all, but a voice at the back of my mind another reminded me of the friends that easily fell into Death's hands.

"Raven!" Eve abandoned the fight and rushed to his side.

The Knights fighting the giant screamed at her to return to her position, but she seemed oblivious to their orders. The demon saw that opportunity to hurl another fist at her.

Eve snapped her head back, jaw dropping at the attack her servant had just saved her from.

"Get away from her!" Chung, who was among the group fighting the wrestler, launched a line of missiles at fist, each missile erupted into a thick blue cloud upon impact. His attack thankfully halted the fist before it could hit Eve.

Eve relaxed and turned her attention to Chung. She said something to him, probably thanking him for the help.

Chungs' interference didn't settle well with the giant," you filthy scum!" The demon raised its fist above Chung and hammered down. Fortunately, Chung leaped away from the point of impact, barely escaping the deadly attack.

Chung wasted no time to launch five missiles directly at the demon's face. The sudden attack caught the giant off guard and forced it to stagger back.

Chung turned his attention to Eve and pointed at Raven. I could only assume he wanted her to check on him.

Before Eve could respond, the giant swiped its open hand at Chung, swatting him away like a fly. The knights surrounding the demon doubled back.

I immediately darted my eyes on Chung. He laid against the remains of a small shop, dazed eyes pinned on his attacker. He attempted to help himself up but his legs betrayed him.

"I will not lose to humans!" The demon howled "I will fight to protect our future!"

A chill ran down my spine as the giant smirked at Chung, its helpless prey.

"You'll regret standing between us and our freedom."

Something inside of me snapped. I locked eyes on the towering demon, head pounding with bubbling anger. A low growl escaped the depths of my throat. Death no longer appealed to me, all I wanted now was to soak my hands in the giant's blood.

'Eun, please lend me your power.'

You are in no condition to fight. Eun chided. I...I cannot allow you to hurt yourself.

'Please, I can't watch him die. I promise I'll back off when he's safe.' I attempted to squirm out of Elesis' grip but she refused to free me.

'Eun, I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to snap at you. Just please help me save Chung!' A warm salty tear tickled the side of my face.

Eun didn't say a word. Instead, it answered by gifting me its strength. Elesis' grip around me loosened the moment I took on Eun's form.

"Ara, what-"

I ripped myself from Elesis' constraint and bolted forward. Unseen fire burned from my opened wounds, its scorching flames seemed to intensify with every step I took. I grit my teeth, so tightly I thought they'd break, and pressed on.

The demon, seemingly oblivious to my advancement, raised its fist over Chung, cackling as Chung struggled to return to his feet.

He's not going to die; not on my watch.

I leaped into the air and toward the fist. "Rock Smash!" With a burst of energy, I hurled myself head first into the fist.

The demon cursed as my attack blew its hand away from Chung. With the threat now gone, I allowed myself to drop down, landing mere inches away from Chung.

A dizzy spell hammered onto me within seconds. I used my spear as a support to stay standing.

"Ara?" I heard his voice whisper to me. A smile crept on my face upon hearing him say my name again.

"Hey," I looked at him, my heart fluttered as our eyes met. Though his figure was blurry, it was enough to arouse the butterflies in my stomach. "You shouldn't let your guard down, stupid."

He didn't answer. I couldn't tell if he was offended by the way I addressed him or if he was shocked to see me save him.

"A-a demon?" The giant gasped, instantly cutting my moment with Chung short.

I averted my attention back to the demon. It studied me with its small beady eyes. In my current state, it was difficult to tell if it was angry or shocked.

"You traitor," the demon growled.

The demon closed its hand once more and launched it toward me. My legs buckled at the sudden attack.

"Dimension Link - Century!"

A tiny Nasod scout bolted past me and toward the closed fist, spitting a blue spark at its target. Though its attack was small, its effects took place almost instantly. Within seconds the demon was staggering back, its outstretched arm now frozen in place.

"Very good," Eve dashed into sight from behind me. "Your job is done."

The Nasod Scout bowed to its Queen before vanishing with a flash of light.

"Eve, y-you saved...my life." I managed to gasp in between breaths.

"I only did it to pay you back for saving Chung." She answered hastily. "D-do not take it personally."

I would like to think she did it because she didn't want to lose me, but I refused to let myself cling onto false hope.

"W-we need to end this soon." Chung averted his attention back onto the giant.

It was now using one arm to fend off its attackers while the other remained paralyzed.

"Easier said than done." Eve clicked her tongue in frustration.

"It'll still be on its feet by the time we're calling for retreat." Chung grunted as he attempted to stand up. "This fight is impossible."

Our enemy may be big, but I doubt it can keep up with fast attacks, I mused. Everyone who's been attacking hasn't exactly been fast, they're mostly relying on wearing the demon down with consecutive assaults.

"Ara, you're hurt." I felt Chung's gaze on me. I refused to reply and continued to think.

"Perhaps you should rest. Y-you will not be of help in your current state." Eve added softly.

I can attack fast. If I link the right moves together I can at least knock the demon down. That should be enough to help the other knights defeat it.

Ara, you promised you would stand down once your friend was safe. Eun piped in desperately. I know what you are thinking. I do not approve of your plan.

'I have nothing left to lose, Eun. I've already lost everything.'

Ara-

I closed my mind from Eun's warnings and rushed toward my target, Eve and Chung called out to me from behind.

I won't lie, I wanted more than anything to stop and run back to them. After the events in Feita, I didn't think they'd be concerned about me. Yet here I was, running head first into danger while my friends cried out for me to return.

The mountainous demon roared with frustration and stomped down on a clutter of knights. The fingers on its paralyzed hand twitching to life.

The temptations to return to my friends vanished with a snap of a finger. Remembering the deaths caused by this demon, I focused all my energy and attention onto my target.

I refuse to let any more people die. There's been too many deaths already.

"Rock Smash!" I rocketed into the air and tackled into the giant's chest, the impact propelled my target back.

Okay, keep pushing it back.

I allowed myself to fall toward my prey until it was within arm's reach," Tiger Claw!" I clawed my prey's stomach region.

The added attack successfully pushed the demon back further. It wobbled on its feet, but it wasn't enough to knock it down.

"Earth Axis!" I sliced my spear horizontally across the demon's abs, an amber light trailed behind my spear's movement and followed the attack with a kick.

That was the final straw. With a howl of pain, the enemy toppled onto its back, crushing its own allies and Knights as a result.

I pointed my spear down as I descended down on its abdomen. The giant's body convulsed the instant my spear dug into its flesh.

My heart was hammering in my chest, like a hungry tiger clawing at its cage, blood pumping with adrenaline. With one final roar, I finished my attack," Raging Wave!"

I plowed toward the head of the demon, dragging my blade through the insides of the target. Warm liquid spilled from the growing wound, bathing my clothes and skin in the blood of my prey.

When I finally made my way to its neck, I sliced my spear up and out of its windpipe, a river of blood spilled from the open wound. I leaped off my fallen foe and clumsily landed back on the crimson ground.

"Uno Hound!" Someone called out.

"O-our raid captain is dead?" Another squeaked.

The adrenaline pumping through my veins sizzled into nothingness. Both my arms hung heavily beside me, they felt like boulders.

"That demon girl killed the giant!" One of the knights cheered.

"We have a chance against this army!'

My legs melted into jelly under my weight and my eyelids were barely staying up against their invisible weights. I caved into the exhaustion and allowed myself to fall.

"Ara!" A hand caught me before I could make contact with the cold ground.

"H-hey, are you okay?!" My saviour cradled me in their arms.

Even as my vision was succumbing to inky blackness, I could still make out those ocean blue eyes gazing down at me. That was the last thing I saw before plunging into the silent sea of darkness.


	9. Recovery

_Mother always said a girl's hair is more precious than her jewelry. I didn't understand what she meant until I tried to cut my own hair._

 _I went out to play with my friends that day with boy's hair and uneven bangs. At first I thought my friends wouldn't notice, we never talked about hair anyways, but I quickly came to regret my decision when everyone started laughing at me._

 _"What happened to your hair?" One of my best friends asked._

 _"I tried to cut it on my own." I admitted with hot cheeks. "I-it'll grow out one day-"_

 _"You look like a boy." Another pointed out._

 _I puffed my cheeks," I don't look like a boy."_

 _"Girls don't look like that." One of my friends flipped her hair over her shoulder. "They have long hair like me."_

 _"Yeah." The rest chanted together._

 _"Girls can have short hair too." I said, stomping my foot into the sand._

 _"Says who?" My best friend challenged._

 _"Says me." I shot back._

 _My friends giggled at my response," that doesn't count. You're a boy."_

 _"And boys are gross." Another pointed out. "That means you're gross."_

 _I couldn't help but let the tears spill from my eyes," I'm telling my Mom about this!"_

 _The girls quieted down almost in an instant. We all knew how scary my Mom could be; her punishments weren't always pretty._

 _"Ara, wait-"_

 _I took off running to my house, ignoring the friends who were calling me from behind. When I finally arrived home, I charged through the door and ran in without taking my sandals off._

 _"Mother, my friends-" I stopped the instant I saw Aren sitting alone at the dining table with an open book. He pried his eyes from his story, his jaw dropped as he got a good look at me._

 _"Mother is out right now," Aren said, gently closing his book. "Ara, what's wrong?"_

 _"O-oh," I hastily wiped my eyes dry. "N-nothing, I just got sand i-in my eye."_

 _"Are you sure?" Aren persisted._

 _The lump at the back of my throat refused to shrink, eventually forcing all the tears out. Aren shifted out of his seat and pulled me into a hug, letting cry onto his shoulder. As a bawled I told him everything, he listened in silence._

 _"That's awful," he said once I stopped crying. "Do you need me to beat them up?"_

 _I gasped," Aren, you can't hit girls."_

 _He snorted," I don't care. They hurt you so I'll teach them a lesson."_

 _"That's okay," I sniffled. "I don't want Mother to punish you."_

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _I bobbed my head," they were right anyways. Now I don't have anyone to play with."_

 _"Hey, stop thinking about those bullies." He patted my head. "You can play with me and my friends instead, we're much cooler than them."_

 _"Really?" I found myself smiling again. "Your friends won't think I'm gross?"_

 _"Of course not, you look like us now." He winked." And if they're mean I'll beat them up too."_

 _I laughed and crushed my brother with a hug," you're the best, Aren."_

 _"Of course I am," he returned the embrace. "It's about time you admitted that, Sis."_

* * *

"She's still stable." Echo's soft voice ripped through the silence, accompanied by a rhythmic beep chanting directly into my left ear.

This was a scene all too familiar to me.

I slowly blinked my eyes open, the familiar blinding light made it extra hard to keep them open.

"Ara?" Echo's fuzzy image came into sight.

I squinted at her," E-Echo?" My voice came out hoarse.

Though the light of the waking world continued to stab into my eyes, I still managed to make out Echo's appearance. She looked like she had just risen from the dead. Both her eyes were red and swollen; her silver hair was left in tangles. The bags that occupied her eyes seemed darker than usual, draining the youth from her daunt face.

Despite looking as if she had abandoned sleep for days, a massive smile still managed to stretch on Echo's face," you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

She crushed me with a hug. I tried to return the gesture but pain shot down my left arm as I attempted to move it.

"Careful," Allegro warned from somewhere in the room. "Y-your injuries are quite deep. T-try not to reopen them."

Flashes of the recent fight played through my head. I felt my blood turning cold at the vivid memories.

"Chung," I blurted. "How is he?"

"A minor head injury." Echo answered, releasing me from her embrace. "Raven had it worse though. Poor guy nearly broke all his ribs."

"I-it's a miracle he even survived." Allegro added.

I allowed myself to relax. At least they're all safe.

"Ara, what were you thinking?!" Echo's sudden outburst caught me off guard, tears now stirred in her green eyes.

"W-what are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand," it's one thing to go out there on an empty stomach, but it's another to fight a giant demon with _two_ stab wounds and a burning fever! Have you lost your mind?!"

I pointed my eyes away from her. I locked my gaze on the turquoise curtain separating me from the neighbouring patient.

"Ara, I-I thought you were going to die." Echo choked on her words. "D-do you know how scared everyone was?"

"I doubt that," I mindlessly blurted.

Echo gasped," y-you're kidding, right?"

I wanted to force on a smile, maybe even add in a light chuckle to lighten the mood, but the tears betrayed me. I turned my head toward the beeping and allowed the tears to slide down the side of my face.

"Ara, there's so many people who care about you." Echo persisted. "You have to take care of yourself."

Lies. I know they don't want me around. Who wants a keep filthy traitor alive? I don't deserve to live. Hell, I don't even deserve to be healed. I deserve to suffer; to be crippled in pain. That's the least I can do for betraying my friends.

"Chung kept asking us if you were awake yesterday," she went on. "He barely slept because he was worried about you."

She's making that up, I know he doesn't actually care. Why would he want me to live? I'm the reason Aisha was killed after all. It's only fair for me to die as well.

"Eve and Raven came to visit you earlier," Echo hiccuped. "A-Amos was begging you to wake up. C-can't you see the support these people are giving you?"

"Stop it," I squeezed my burning eyes shut.

"Why should I stop?" Her voice dropped to a weak whisper. "Why should I not tell you the truth?"

Someone in the room coughed.

Echo sniffled, "I-I know you've been upset lately, a-and I know you didn't mean what you said to me. A-Ara, I forgive you."

Forgive. That word hit me harder than Speka's punch; it pierced me deeper than any blade could.

"N-no you don't." I said with quivering lips. "Y-you don't forgive me, st-stop lying to me."

"What?" Echo sounded genuinely shocked. "W-why? Why are you saying that?"

"You don't understand," I curled my hands into fists, nails digging into my palms. "Y-you didn't betray anyone. Y-you never hurt the people you care about. I-I did all those things, someone like me doesn't deserve forgiveness."

I was trembling at this point, pain rippled out from my wounds like a wave.

"H-hey, t-try to take it easy, Ara." Allegro piped in.

"No!" I dug my nails deeper into my palm, I was sure they were drawing out blood.

"Ara, that was one mistake." Echo tried to reason.

"Echo, maybe you shouldn't-" I promptly cut Allegro off.

"It was a mistake that was easily avoided, Echo. Everything is my fault, i-it's because I'm stupid and weak." I snapped, my own words stabbing me in the chest. "Who cares if I'm injured? I had it coming, I deserve the punishment."

"Ara-"

"Please leave me alone," I squeezed my damp eyes shut. "I-I'm begging you, Echo."

"Let's give her some alone time." Allegro whispered.

Echo was silent for a moment," fine, but this talk isn't over." Her voice rung with frustration.

Echo shuffled around my bed in silence," oh, and I think you might want this. I'll put it on your pillow." I felt something rest inches from my face, but I refused to move an inch.

Echo and Allegro's footsteps promptly trailed away, I made sure to lay still as a corpse until I heard a door creak shut. The room fell into an uneasy silence, only the hum and beeping of the machines filled in the void.

I cracked my eyes open, the first thing to greet me was Eun's hairpin. I reached for the hairpin, hesitating for a second before wrapping my fingers around it.

 _I am glad you are okay._ Eun hugged me with its warmth, comforting me like a blanket.

A part of me beamed upon hearing its voice again while another wanted to hide in shame.

"I'm sorry, Eun." I hugged my hairpin close to my chest. "I'm sorry you're stuck with someone like me. I-I understand if you don't want be with me anymore, n-no one wants a heavy load."

While I was willing to let my precious friend go, a part of me shattered at the thought of losing Eun. Losing Eun would be like cutting my own arm off. Sure, I could live without a second arm but life would never be the same again.

 _Nonsense, Ara. I have been with you since you were a child, I will not abandon you for anyone._

"You don't have to lie, Eun." I choked on my words. "I-I know you hate-"

I couldn't finish my sentence before breaking into a sobbing mess.

 _I may grow frustrated with you and my words may be harsh, but I will never hate you._

Eun's warmth cradled me like an infant. I could imagine myself curled up on Eun's stomach, its nine tails wrapped around me as I snuggled my head into its soft white fur.

 _Ara, I will never leave you. When your human allies fail to support you, you can turn to me. I will always be here for you._

"Eun, t-that's too good to be true." I chuckled humorlessly.

 _I will admit, I have spoken some harsh words to you during this time. I apologize for that._

Eun shouldn't have to apologize. It shouldn't waste its breath on me.

 _However, Ara, I will never leave you. I will stand by you no matter how many times you fall, no matter how many sins you have committed._

I wanted to believe Eun was only being kind, that its words were supported by empty promises, but I couldn't bring myself to deny it. Eun did have a point. Even when we got into fights or disagreements Eun would always be here to look out for me. Never once did it intentionally abandon me.

 _I will admit, this loyalty I hold toward you is quite shocking. I have never cared about a human so much. Yet here I am, caring about you as if we are family._

That only made the tears spill harder. I allowed myself to cry and hurt, but this time in the comfort of my trusted friend.

* * *

Two days have passed since I cried my eyes out in the company of Eun.

Echo dropped by each day to keep me company. During her visits she'd allow me to help me organize her ingredients for future potions, this was to help me serve the punishment Elesis imposed on me. I was grateful she never brought up our previous conversation again, but I noted how she seemed to avoid my eyes.

When I wasn't helping Echo organize her supplies, I spent the day talking with Eun. I told Eun about my early childhood while Eun exchanged stories about my ancestors. To the nearby patients I must've sounded mental, but I could care less about their opinion of me.

 _Ara, I never got a chance to congratulate you._ Eun said one afternoon.

"Congratulate me?" I quoted, arching my brow.

 _During our recent fight you successfully performed the Secret Tiger Art._

The Secret Tiger Art was a traditional fighting technique my grandmother once used on demons. Eun promised it would teach me to use the ultimate skill, the most powerful attack a knight could execute, if I successfully performed the Secret Art.

"Are you serious?" I beamed.

 _I will teach you the secret skill as promised._

I pumped my arms in the air and nearly screamed out with joy.

 _However, you must promise me to take care of yourself. The training I will put you through is rough. I cannot allow you to work under poor health conditions._

"I promise I will," I answered in an instant. "Eun, thank you so much. Y-you don't know how much this means to me."

Eun laughed at my enthusiasm and hugged me in its warmth once again.

The infirmary door creaked open, allowing the noise from the halls to pour in. If it weren't for the curtain separating me from my neighbouring patients, I would've seen who walked in.

"Wasn't that guy on our team?" Noel's jolly voice bounced in.

The door creaked shut, followed by clicking footsteps.

"Yes he was," Vanessa's voice piped in. The sound of her voice drained the last bit of excitement I got from Eun's announcement.

I found myself curling my fingers around my covers as the two Knights walked into view. Vanessa's face was scratched and bruised, but her eyes held the same intensity as when we first met. Noel trailed behind her with a lute cradled in his arms.

"Ara, I see you are feeling better." Vanessa said, planting herself at the end of my bed.

"Y-yes, m'am." I stammered.

"That's a relief," Noel said, positioning himself beside Vanessa. "We should tell that cannon fellow she's okay. Now what was his name again?"

Cannon? Was he talking about Chung?

"Ara, I am very disappointed in your actions during our mission." Vanessa proceeded to scold.

I held back frown at her immediate response. It would've been nice if she asked how I've been doing lately.

"You not only failed to keep up with the rest of the front lines you also went into battle ill-prepared." Her voice seemed to rise with every word.

"Van, you shouldn't be so hard on her." Noel jumped in to defend me. Vanessa shot him a nasty look.

It was a wonder how these two polar opposites could work together.

"I will not tolerate such childish behaviour on my team." Vanessa snapped, turning her attention back to me. Shivers ran down my spine under her icy glare. "Let me warn you, girl, don't ever pull off another stunt like that again or I'll have you kicked out of my team. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," I bowed my head.

"Good, I'll be on my way now."

I kept my eyes glued on my sheets as her clicking footsteps trailed away. She slammed the door shut behind her, startling one of the other patients.

Note to self, never get on Vanessa's bad side again.

"Sorry about her," Noel said with a light chuckle. "She's always grumpy."

I snapped my head back up to see the old man still glued on the same spot. He smiled gently at me," how are you doing today?"

It was hard not to let my jaw drop. Here I thought this man followed Vanessa out like a loyal dog.

"G-good." I managed to reply. "Won't Vanessa get mad if you stay here?"

"She won't care," he shifted his lute. "The woman tries to act tough, but in actuality she's a real softy."

"Vanessa a softy?" I found myself snickering. I cursed under my breath at my response and quickly apologized.

He laughed, " don't worry about it, kid. Everyone finds it hard to believe." His finger drummed down on the lute's strings, its soft melody reverberated through the room.

"O-oh." I answered sheepishly. It almost felt wrong for Noel to be so laid back, especially compared to Vanessa. "That's a nice lute you have there." I noted.

"She's beautiful, ain't she?" His eyes trailed down on the old instrument. Though the lute was old and its strings were worn, Noel gazed down on it like a block of diamond. "I picked 'er up after losin' my last friend. I stopped fightn' after that, but the damn knights kept insistin' I help them. I agreed to help only if I wasn' expected to go fight."

The bright aura once encasing the man shattered into pieces, revealing the malicious darkness keeping him prisoner.

"I-I'm so sorry to hear that." That was the only thing I could think of saying, despite knowing " _sorry"_ would not soothe his internal wounds.

"Y'know, kid, I was in your place once." He said, continuing to string his lute. "Sad and lonely—hey that sounds like a good title for a song."

He laughed at his own comment, I chuckled along with him.

Once we had both calmed down he continued," you're lucky, kid. You have a chance to mend your friendship and make new memories. Me? I'm stuck in bad terms with my pals, and unless I can talk to ghosts, I can't ever make things better."

I would like to mend my relationships; but how can you fix something shattered beyond recognition? Is it even possible anymore; to ask my friends for a second chance?

"M-may I ask why you got into bad terms with your friends?"

Noel stopped stringing his lute the instant those words left my mouth. I was about to apologize when he spoke up.

"War doesn' just kill your opponents," he locked his eyes with me. Pain and wisdom stirred in those worn green orbs. "War kills everything."

He bowed his head and continued stringing his instrument again like nothing had happened. It's melodic chimes were the only thing to fill the mute void.

"I don't know if ya' heard, kid, but we just got some crazy news." He spoke up in his usual cheery demeanour. It was a silent queue to drop the subject.

"News?" I quoted.

"Hamel's just been hit with an attack," he explained. "Some clown named Ran shed quite a lot of blood with his army."

The news hit me in the face like a rock. With all the commission going on I nearly forgot about Ran's true identity—as if my current problems weren't enough.

"When I say _clown_ I don't actually mean those creeps at birthday parties-"

"How bad was the attack?" I cut Noel off. I genuinely felt bad for interrupting, but I needed to know what harm my brother was causing.

"The demons targeted the slums since knights don't usually patrol there, I don't believe any survivors were found." His answer made me want to hurl. "It ain't as bad as Velder though. The Harmony Festival really roughed us up."

"H-how so?" I asked. What could be worse than killing off the entire slum (besides being related to the one who did it)?

Noel stopped drumming his lute," the attacks were heavy on the castle. We focused our forces to defend this place, thus we failed to provide enough defences out in the city. It seemed like the attackers were more lethal outside the castle—"he sighed"—Demons destroyed everything out there. We're barely maintainin' supplies for our knights and survivors, food distribution has been a real problem lately. To top it all off, we've sent many knights out to _posts_ on the outskirts of the city. It's our final attempt to keep the demons out, but that means the castle has less people to defend it."

His words of Velder's destruction rung so familiar in my ears. An idea I tried so desperately to ignore crawled into my conscious mind. The room instantly felt like it was made of ice and the strength I had just recovered dissipated into thin air.

"Hey, kid, you doin' alright?" Noel snapped me back to reality. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"J-just shocked at the news." I said, slumping into my pillow.

He shot me a sympathetic smile," I'll leave ya' alone to process this. It took me a while to accept it as well."

I didn't realize he was gone until I heard the door squeaking open and close. I shut my eyes, raked my hand through my bangs, and cursed.

The single idea I brushed off as a joke was now staring me dead in the eye.

The letter was right.


	10. A New Day

I was discharged a day after Noel's visit. I wanted nothing more than to run back to my room as I recall there being another note. At first I thought Echo accidentally slipped the wrong item in my bag, but now I'm convinced the first note came from the same author as the second—how they knew the bag was mine was unknown to me.

Unfortunately, my plans quickly came to a halt when Echo insisted on escorting me to the Mess Hall, she even brought my newly repaired and cleaned robe to keep me from returning to my room.

I told her I simply wanted to drop by to pick up an item, but she refused to let me back, claiming I'll just lock myself in and starve myself to death.

I had no choice but to dress myself in the infirmary and follow her out.

The mess hall was filled with more people, but it did not hold the buzzing energy I remembered on my first day here. Knights silently ate their meals, not even bothering to speak to the friends around them. Their negativity added to the unseen weights in the air making it even more difficult to proceed inside.

"I wish I could talk with you more but my shift starts in a minute." Echo said as I placed my plate of mashed potatoes on a table. "You better not waste any of this. We're running short on food and you need the energy to fight."

"I promise I will." I said, slipping into my seat. My stomach turned uncomfortably at the thought of eating but I knew I'd need to force the contents down.

Echo folded her arms," you better eat it. I'll find out if you don't."

I roll my eyes," yes, mother."

Echo playfully punched me on the arm," I'm glad you're feeling better now."

I'm far from better, but that's something I plan to keep to myself.

"Hey, Echo." I said just as she twirled herself around. She glanced back at me, eyes swirling with concern. "I-I'm sorry about my outbursts. It wasn't fair to yell at you...especially when you were only trying to help."

She smiled," I've already forgiven you. Did you forget already?" We both chuckled. "Still—"she softened her eyes"—I appreciate the apology."

That went better than I expected, I couldn't help but think. It's nice to finally have someone who's willing to accept my apology.

"Alright, I seriously have to go now. I'll get an earful if I'm late again." She said with a chuckle. "I'll see ya' later."

I waved and watched as she sprinted out the mess hall. Once she bounced out of sight, I pointed my eyes down at the mesh sitting on my plate. I knew eating it would be good for me, but nausea instantly washed over me before I could convince myself to swallow it down.

If you do not eat I will not teach you.

That was enough to encourage me to consume my plate's contents. I was nearly done my breakfast when a red haired knight slipped into the seat across from me.

"Glad to see you're eating again," Elesis beamed a bit too loudly. Her voice bounced to the far end of the room, causing curious heads to turn our way.

"Yeah," I said, scarfing down another spoonful of potato.

"This isn't the greatest meal but it's better than actually cooking." Elesis chuckled. "Plus, I love potatoes."

I kept quiet and continued to pick away at my meal. I couldn't think of anything to say to her especially when she was acting overly cheerful. In a room filled with gloomy knights Elesis stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, have you heard of an elf named Chloe?" Elesis asked, with her mouth stuffed with food.

I avoided her gaze and shook my head.

"She was a friend of mine," Elesis explained, swallowing her food. "This girl was crazy competitive. One time she challenged some kid to a drawing contest—poor guy didn't even stand a chance."

I bobbed my head and rested my spoon on my empty plate. I wanted to ask her why she was telling me this but decided to let her reveal that herself.

"Anyways, she was a Red Knight like me. Not to brag, but we made an awesome team." She giggled at the memory.

I think we make a better team. Eun piped in matter-of-factly. I almost smiled at its comment.

Elesis sighed and rested her spoon down," but she was poor. At the time our ranks weren't enough for her to pay off rent. I insisted she could live with me and Els', but the stubborn girl didn't want to trouble us. She was afraid we'd resent her for using us."

I glanced up, meeting Elesis' distant red eyes—sadness, accompanied with a glint of joy, stirred within them.

"We made a goal to advance the ranks together." She darted her eyes down. "She wasn't as strong as me so I advanced before her. Things were fine at first, but as I advanced further, my schedule became more busy. I barely had time to be with her."

She hastily rubbed the corners of her eyes before continuing," Chloe quit one day. I tried to stop her but it was clear she didn't see me as a friend anymore. She also didn't feel like being a knight was suited for her. "

"Oh," was the only thing I could respond with. I clasped my hands together underneath the table and shifted on my seat.

"The last time I saw her was on the battlefield." Elesis added, this time in a soft whisper. "That crazy girl got associated with demons. I-I don't even know why she resorted to that. I like to believe she was bribed into that position, she was desperate for money."

So Elesis got stabbed in the back too. I suppose that would explain why she was so willing to give my story about Scarlet a chance.

"Being betrayed sucks, I know that." She reached over to rest her hand on my shoulder. She gave it a light squeeze before continuing," your friends might not understand your relation with that demon, but I do—to an extent. I know how scary it is to see someone you trust turn on you, and I know you didn't mean to hurt everyone."

Tears danced I my eyes in response to Elesis' comment. For the first time, in a long time, someone finally understood me.

"T-thank you," I blinked back the rebellious teardrops.

"I'm glad you're doing better," she lifted her hand from my shoulder and resumed eating. "Too bad my hard-headed brother can't do the same."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Elesis' shoulders tensed," just before the Harmony Festival, he bought himself some...drinks. I wanted to throw the bottles away but he threatened to hurt himself if I laid a single finger on them."

It's all because of me, a devilish voice whispered from the back of my head.

"I-is he doing better now?" I asked, trying to ignore my toxic thoughts.

Elesis scowled," he's far from better. He's either passed out or suffering from another damn hangover—"she stabbed her potato angrily"—honestly, what am I gonna do with him?"

I wanted to ask how he was able to attend missions but decided not to question her about Elsword anymore. She might accidentally stab me if I mention her brother too much.

"How's Speka doing?" I whispered, though a part of me wishes not to know.

Elesis shrugged," I heard she's a real handful. Her attacks are ruthless and she'd sometimes injure fellow Knights."

Silence fell between us. I mentally debated whether to leave for stay with Elesis.

I could use this time to read the mysterious note, I reasoned. But it would be rude to just Elesis alone like that.

"Hey, look who's here!" A kid's cheerful voice sliced through the hall, shattering the heavy silence weighing on our shoulders.

I perked my head up and caught Amos running toward my table with a plate in hand. Eve and Raven followed stiffly behind him, their arrival instantly brought back my suffocating guilt.

"Ara, I'm so happy you're okay," Amos nearly threw his plate on the table top before proceeding to crush me with a hug.

I pointed my eyes at his two guardian, they each stared back like scientists studying a new specimen. I didn't return his embrace until they both gave me a curt nod of approval.

"How's it going?" I gently wrapped my arms around him. At the corner of my eye I caught Elesis smiling at our reunion.

"Raven and Eve are being so bossy." He explained. "I told them I could help fight, but they wouldn't even let me leave the castle."

"You won't stand a chance in a real battle." Raven replied, placing his share of food by Amos'.

"I'm strong too," Amos bounced out of my arms and sat himself down beside me. "I made more elemental orbs, and they're way better than I ones I used before."

Eve and Raven shook their heads and slid into the free space beside Amos. They both kept their heads down to avoid eye contact with me.

"Really?" I said, taking quick glances at his guardians.

"I made a fire orb, a dark orb, and a nature orb." Amos announced proudly. "They took forever to make—"he stretched his arms out to emphasize his point—"and Allegro said they'd work super well." He glanced back at Raven with a frown.

"But Raven is a big meanie and won't let me test it out in battle." He added, sticking his tongue at Raven.

"Of course I wouldn't let you test them in battle." Raven replied. His response made Amos puff up his cheeks.

"But why?" Amos pouted.

"Because it's dangerous," I found myself blurting the same thing as Raven. A grin crept on my face at our unintentional response, Raven mirrored my gesture.

Amos, on the other hand, wasn't too impressed with our reply. "Why are grown ups so mean?" He mumbled, crossing his arms together.

"We're just looking out for you, kiddo." Raven ruffled Amos' fur.

"We can test the orbs out for you." I suggested, but that didn't seem to satisfy Amos.

"I-I agree with Ara's idea." Eve piped in sheepishly. She poked her head out from behind Raven, cheeks flushed with pink. "Allow us to test the orbs out. We promise to give you our honest opinions on them."

Amos muttered a "whatever" under his breath.

"Awe, now this is what I've been waiting for." Elesis scanned over us with a cheeky grin. She looked like a child who just received a mountain of toys. "I'll give you guys some alone time."

"That is not necessary, feel free to stay with us." Eve replied.

Elesis shook her head and forced down the remains of her breakfast in record time," I gotta prepare for the day's work anyways." She explained with a stuffed mouth. "I'll see you and Raven in a bit." She slipped out her seat and swept up her plate.

"Oh and, Ara, be sure to attend your team meeting in the library." She added just before leaving. "Vanessa's expecting to see you working today."

Great, there goes my plan to read the note. I guess I'll check it later tonight.

Once Elesis left, Raven proceeded to eat while Amos filled me in on his recent experiments. I actually found myself intrigued by his many successes, his young age only made his work even more fascinating.

"Amos, you're doing more talking than eating." Raven finally spoke up. "Finish your food first."

Amos frowned, but obliged to the order anyways. As Amos quietly chipped away at his meal, I was forced to converse with my old friends.

"S-so, Raven, how are you doing?" I asked, playing with my thumbs underneath the table.

His eyes hardened for a brief moment," I'm fine now." He answered curtly.

Someone in the hall coughed, their voice bouncing to every last corner of the room.

"Ara, I heard you risked your life to save Chung." Raven said suddenly. He shifted on his seat and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, just wanna say thanks for that."

"N-no problem." I answered, completely taken aback by his response.

"I apologize for not visiting you earlier." Eve piped in. "I was concerned with Raven at the time."

"It's okay," my heart warmed at her reply. It's been so long since I could talk with my friends normally. Though the weight of my actions still divided us, it failed to keep us from scaling over its walls.

Amos grinned at our short conversation. His tiny legs swung wildly from underneath the table.

"Well, we should get going soon." Raven pointed out. Amos immediately groaned at our quick departure.

I should get going too, I thought as Amos rambled about leaving too soon. I'd hate to get Vanessa upset again.

"Amos, remember to stay in the castle." Eve said, ignoring his complaints. "If you disobey we will not go on a walk tonight."

"Man, why do grown ups always have to win?" Amos huffed. "Whatever, I like talking to Ara more anyways."

"I-I should get going too." I piped in, Amos' dropped the instant I spoke up. Raven and Eve shot me a very amused look.

"What?!" Amos looked torn between anger and sadness.

"We all have work to do, kid." Raven replied with a chuckle. "We'll see you later, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Amos muttered angrily, waving his hand dismissively at us.

"W-well, take care, guys." I said, slipping out of my seat.

Before I could go, Amos shot his arm out and grabbed me by my sleeve. He gazed up at me with large glassy eyes, the ice imprisoning my heart melted under his stare.

"Ara, will I be able to eat with you again?" He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

I wanted so badly to say "yes" but I knew that decision didn't lie with me. I opened my mouth to respond, but Raven cut me off.

"Yeah, we'll eat with her again." Raven answered, as if he could read my mind.

His response rung in my head like a bell, each time I replayed those surreal words my heart skipped a beat.

"Really?" Amos snapped his head toward Raven, who responded with a nod.

The Ponggo squealed at the answer and bounced on his seat. Annoyed grunts sounded around us, but that alone couldn't kill the Amos' rekindled joy.

* * *

Vanessa put me on patrol around the castle, with several weaker Knights, while everyone else went off further into the decrepit city. Chung was among the group who left with Vanessa, thus leaving me with a bunch of strangers.

The day seemed to drag on slower than usual, every hour felt like a year. I wasn't sure if it was due to the lack of events or the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious notes.

I attempted to distract myself by engaging in the conversations of my fellow team mates, but none of them seemed to want to converse with me. It was clear they didn't want to talk to a demon—I wish they were more discrete with their hatred though.

In the end I trailed behind the group like an unwanted dog, dragging myself through the dust while my "allies" marched ahead.

Twilight had taken reign over the heavens when Vanessa came to inform us our shift was over. I parted ways with my group and began my journey to my room.

The castle halls were calm at this hour, many Knights were either resting in their room or eating. I thread down the winding halls, bathing in amber sunlight. I planned on reading the first letter before heading off to dinner. If I held this task off any longer I'd die of curiosity.

I came to a halt upon catching an approaching figure ahead—the figure mimicked my actions.

It was Chung. His snow-white armour gleamed in the pouring amber light, making it seem like he was glowing. The sun's radiance hugged itself along one side of his face, leaving the other shaded in darkness.

"Hey," he greeted, locking eyes with me.

"H-hi," my heart was racing at this point. "H-how was your day?"

He shrugged," fought a few demons, lost a few Knights; the usual."

It ached my chest to hear him say that so casually.

"How 'bout you?" He asked.

"It was boring," I admitted truthfully.

A passing maid zoomed past us, her haste footsteps bounced through the hall until it succumbed to silence.

"I heard Hamel was attacked," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Hamel is your home, right?" I asked, he nodded in response. "I-I'm sorry about what happened."

"Yeah, me too."

I'm sorry my brother was the one who did it, I added mentally. I bet he wouldn't have done so much if he didn't have so many El Shards. Speaking of El Shards…

"You think it was the demons from Feita?" He spoke up before I could.

Scarlet's face flashed in my head. Blood pounded my head at the thought of her seemingly innocent smile and the way she'd used to laugh with me. If I knew things would come down to this, I would've killed her.

"Maybe," I said flatly. "It wouldn't surprise me if it was."

If Scarlet was ordering the demons to attack Hamel it could only mean one thing, she suspects there's an El Shard hidden there.

Scarlet brought back Rena's soul, manipulated it so Rena couldn't feel emotions, and made sure our team suffered. All of that was to awaken the Dark Shard's power. If she was willing to do that to my friends, there's no saying what she's willing to do to complete strangers.

I glanced around the amber hall. Once sure we were alone I asked," Chung, do you ever think it was a mistake to give up the El search?"

"It'll resume once the war is over," he reminded me in a whisper. "Plus, a better team will handle it."

"R-right." I stammered. I'd like to think I've also given up on our mission, but a small part of me still hopes we'll one day resume our search especially when Scarlet is still free to search for the next Shard.

"Let me ask you something next," his response made my stomach twist. "Why did you do it? Why did you befriend an enemy?"

I felt a rock sink into my stomach. Biting back the tears, I answered," b-because she understood me."

He didn't say anything at first. I assumed it was because he wasn't satisfied with my answer or maybe it didn't believe it, but my response was true. Scarlet felt like a sister to me, I never would've guessed she was an enemy.

"I see," he proceeded walking again, I took this as a queue for the end of our conversation.

I wanted to beg him to stay and talk with me some more, but I knew we were too damaged for that to work.

"By the way—"he ruffled my hair along the way"—I'll give you some extra food if I see you at the mess hall. I owe you for saving me."

His hand slipped from my head as he proceeded down the hall. I listened to his every steps, each one getting quieter and quieter until there was nothing.

Once sure he was gone I proceeded to my room. While our talk was short lived it was better than not speaking at all—that was enough for me.

I opened my bedroom door only to be welcomed by a blast of cold air slapping me in the face.

I heard my heart pumping feverishly in my ears and felt my blood rushing through my veins. Once again the windows were left wide open, and just as before, a folded sheet of paper rested on my nightstand.


	11. Bitter Reunions

**I finished editing this extra early so I can play Pokemon Moon for the rest of the day. xD**

The paper on my nightstand stared tauntingly back at me. I was frozen on the spot, my heart racing from both excitement and fear. I swallowed, squeezing myself in, the heavy metal door creaked shut behind me.

I rested my spear against the stone wall and proceeded toward the note. With quivering hands I plucked the letter from its spot, shivers crawled up and down my spine upon touching its cold surface.

 _I wonder what the author wrote this time._ Eun piped in.

I held my breath and gingerly unfolded the sheet. Familiar blue scribbles greeted me on the inside.

 _After today it's going to difficult for me to contact you, so I apologize if I fail to warn you about future attacks. I recently learned why your team is here for so long. I'm sorry about what happened, but you can't stay here anymore! I'll devise a plan to help you get what you need to escape this castle—I just hope I'll be able to deliver it in time._

 _A major attack will launch on Hope Bridge, I don't know the exact day but expect it to happen sometime this week. Just like the Harmony Festival, this one will be deceiving._

 _Front lines will be composed of the best swordsman and the midline will contain spearmen and archers. The front lines will cause the most damage and there's no doubt your leaders will focus on taking them down first, but please do not fall into their trap. While you guys are busy hacking down the swordsmen, the captain of the army will use that chance to wipe your entire group out._

 _The captain is an archer. She's a dark elf who goes by the name of Chloe._

That's Elesis' old friend, a voice screamed in my head; my legs weakened in response.

After learning about Chloe's origin story I almost felt heartbroken to hear we'd be going up against her. The poor girl wasn't bad by nature, she just took a wrong turn. Would it be wrong to kill her for that?

I shook those thoughts and feelings out of my head and continued reading.

 _She is capable of summoning multiple arrows at once so be sure to keep your guard up. I highly recommend taking her down as soon as possible, the attackers won't function well without her guidance. Be wary when you fight her! She is guarded by Blood Eaters—those little devils can suck the life energy out of you. Take them down with a ranged attack._

 _Once again I beg of you, please resume your search for the El Shards. You're my only hope._

My hands were shaking by the time my eyes reached the end of the message. The amount of detail put in the attack was terrifying. A part of me screamed that it was fake but another accepted its content as the truth.

Then again, how could this author have so much insight on the enemy's plan? How did they know me? Just who exactly are they?

"There's still one more note." I thought to myself out loud. "Maybe it has the answers."

I placed the paper back on the nightstand and dropped to my knees, digging through my pile of clothes. It didn't take long for me to uncover the paper veiled under my garments. I unfolded the paper with haste and immediately skimmed over its blue words.

 _All you need to know about me is that I'm an ally. This may seem farfetched but I promise I mean no harm._

 _I'm writing to you because you're the only one I trust—you're also the only one capable of helping me._

 _I recently learned of the destruction that will strike Elrois when the El Shards reunite, a god-like demon will be released into our world, destroying everything in its path. As far as I know, there isn't a way to stop this demon. I will not go into detail on how I obtained such information._

 _I tried doing research on this demon, for the most part my research came out empty. The only information I could find was the demon's weakness to the El Shards. That got me thinking, just what exactly are El Shards? Why do they exist? What purpose do they serve? I began researching about the El Shards, specifically their origin, but I've found no answers._

 _I have reason to believe the origin of El Shards are documented, such powerful objects must be written down somewhere, but I have no knowledge on where this information is hidden. I will work hard to uncover it—I promise. If we can know more about these Shards I bet we'll be able to find the key to stopping this disaster._

 _Please trust me. I promise to aid you in every way I can. This disaster won't just eliminate humans, it'll destroy_ _everything_ _and_ _everyone_ _in its path._

* * *

Sleep failed conquer me that night. I twisted and turned for hours on my rocky bed.

The night was still, leaving the moon and her diamonds suspended in silence. While my surroundings made not a squeak, my head was buzzing with noise. Theories, questions and doubts sprung from those three notes. I debated on confiding Eun further about the letters but decided not to disturb its slumber.

It scared me how this unknown person knew about the attacks. The set up seemed too much like a trap. For all I knew this could be an attempt to win my trust to the enemy—a plan devised by Scarlet, but there's also a chance she isn't behind the messages.

Boiling anger bubbled up from the pits of my stomach at the simple thought of Scarlet. I put my trust in her and yet she used my faith and moulded it into a knife; a knife which would be used to stab me in the back.

I turned to my side, trying to force any lingering thoughts about Scarlet and the letters into the depths of my mind. I eventually fell asleep, only to be awakened early next morning from a nightmare

My morning was fairly uneventful. Echo accompanied me at breakfast and I was once again assigned to patrol. This time; however, I was only given a half-day shift.

Unlike the previous day, the hours zipped by in a flash. I spent most of my time speaking to Eun about the letters and their credibility rather than paying attention to the task at hand. Eun strongly believed the letters were a trap while I had hope over their truthfulness. We both, however, could agree the El Shards was not something we should ignore any longer.

We spoke heavily about the Shards, furthering my belief to resume the El Shard hunt. We can brush off the letters as a trap, though I still have faith in their warnings, but we can't deny the damage that will ensue if Scarlet gets more Shards.

There was a small problem. If we were going to resume our search it would only be a one man team—two of you included Eun. No one else would want to help us, at least not anymore.

I immediately wanted to drop the idea of resuming our mission at the thought of travelling alone. Eun and I got into a heated argument about the issue before finally falling into silence. This would be a conversation for another day.

When I returned I headed straight to the mess hall, for once I was craving for some food.

The first thing I noticed when approaching the opened doors of the Mess Hall was Elesis. She was situated directly at the entrance with hands on her hips. The moment her eyes landed on me a smile flashed on her face.

"Ara, I was just looking for you," she eagerly waved me over.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"After seeing your cute reunion with that furry kid, I hatched up a plan." She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and forced me to follow her inside.

I nearly choked on my spit the instant my eyes landed on a table up ahead, every one of my former friends were seated around it. It was almost comedic to see Noel pacing up and down our table, like a teacher supervising his troubled students.

"Looks like everyone is here," Elesis loudly announced to the group.

Time seemed to have halted as all eyes turned to me. Elesis' grip around me tightened, making it near impossible to wiggle my way out.

"Now I want everyone here to have a good lunch," she ordered, guiding me to an empty seat beside Chung. She pushed me down on the bench before releasing her grip.

"Seriously, Sis?" Elsword slurred from across the table. The stench of alcohol clung onto him like moths to a flame. "You're gonna bring a demon to the table?"

"She's your friend," Elesis corrected. "I expect you to treat her like one."

He scoffed, resting his face on his hand," she's a traitor."

His words stung like acid, its venom reminding me the consequences of my actions.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Elesis replied, probably with a tight smile. "Noel and I will be getting everyone food. If I see _any_ you fighting I'll be sure to give you a good beating."

"Whoa, now that sounds scary." Noel chuckled, following Elesis away to retrieve the food.

"I can't believe we're doing this." Speka groaned—I didn't realize that was her until closer inspection.

Speka chopped off most of her long hair, leaving only the remains tied into pigtails. Her new choice of attire exposed much of her chest and upper body. Her skin pale and her eyes, now free from her round glasses, was plagued with fatigue. Despite her drastic change she was still a splitting image of Aisha.

"W-well Elesis was just helping us to talk again-" I instantly snapped my mouth shut upon falling under Speka and Elsword's glare. A little voice in my head urged me to escape the table while I had the chance, but I didn't want to make Elesis angry; who knows what she'll do to me?

"I don't talk to demons." Elsword hiccuped. "And I certainly don't talk to the person who made my girlfriend die."

An invisible weight dropped onto my aching shoulders. I blinked against my burning eyes and slumped down.

Amos giggled," Elsword, you sound funny."

He laughed along with the kid, but his voice was empty of humour," yeah, it's called being drunk. You should try it sometime."

"Elsword," Raven and Eve spoke up at the same time.

"What? I'm tellin' the truth." He went on nonchalantly.

"If you talk like that to my kid again I swear I'll-"

"Swear you'll what?" Elsword cut Raven off. He leaned in with a sly smirk stretched on his gaunt face. "Kill me? Please do, I really wanna see Aisha again."

Raven curled his Nasod hand into a fist, eyes hardened at his former friend.

"Guys, Elesis will be mad if she sees you like this." I immediately butt in. Raven didn't comment any further but Elsword responded with a curse, Eve instantly covered Amos' ears in response.

"Stop acting like a goodie two shoes, Ara." Speka trailed her eyes up and down on me, scrunching her nose as if she just tasted something rotten. "You're the reason we're like this."

Her comment shot arrows into my damaged heart, and here I was hoping I've recovered from the unseen injuries my former team has inflicted on me.

"I'm sorry, alright?" I dropped into a whisper. "I-I wish I could change the past. I-I really didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Of course you'd say that." Speka rolled her eyes. "You'd do anything to save your self image."

I could tell them every little detail about my interactions and thoughts on Scarlet and they still wouldn't believe me. I wanted to hammer my fists down and scream, shout; do anything to make them hear my voice.

"Should've never recruited you." Elsword added; his comment only made my blood boil.

I readied myself to respond but Eun stopped me before I could utter a single word.

 _Do not make things worse, Ara._ Eun warned calmly. _We do not need to make any more enemies._

I let Eun's words sink in and held back my response.

"It's your fault we even started searching for the El Shards to begin with." Elsword went on.

Everyone at the table tensed up. I shot a quick glance at Elesis who was too engaged in a conversation with Noel to notice Elsword's comment.

"Dude," Chung dropped his voice to a whisper. "Keep it down. We aren't supposed to talk about the Shards."

"Whatever," Elsword snorted. "It's not like we're gonna resume the search."

"But-" I stopped myself before the words could leave my mouth. The group turned their attention back onto me, everyone (but Elsword) stared at me with genuine surprise.

I snapped my mouth shut and bowed my head, blood rushing to my cheeks.

"But what?" Eve challenged.

 _Perhaps we can ask for their assistance._ Eun suggested before I could respond to them. _We both agree that we need to resume the Shard hunt, but I know you do not wish to go on this mission alone._

'Y-you're right, but do you think they'll _want_ to help us?'

 _We can try._

"Well?" Speka pressed on.

I clasped my clammy hands together, blood pounding against my head. I took one last glance at Elesis before continuing," b-but what if abandoning the search was a mistake? M-maybe we should resume the mission."

Speka's jaw was dropped at this point. She stared back at me like I had just insulted her favorite outfit. Eve and Raven were conversing with one another in hushed voices while Chung sat frozen on the spot, eyes widened.

"Resume?" Elsword burst out laughing. "Ara, we're not allowed to even hold the damn Shard anymore. How are we gonna search for it?"

"I-I know but-"

"B-besides, a new team has been assigned to the search." Speka piped in hastily. "It's not our problem anymore."

Under normal circumstances I'd fight back until I got the majority by my side. Today, however, I couldn't conjure up the courage to stand my ground. I took my defeat in silence.

What was the point? Of course they'd reject the idea. Anything that came out of my mouth was pointless to them.

"Heh, I'm surprised you didn't yell at us for not caring." Elsword continued to mock.

Don't rub it in, I thought grudgingly. It's thanks to you I've lost my perseverance to keep fighting.

"I remember when we tried to retreat from a demon with her. She yelled at us for being cowards, it's funny because she was no better than us." He went on, laughing at his own comment. I dug my nails into my palm in response.

"That was pretty really pathetic—"he turned his head at Speka"—right, Aisha?"

Speka instantly greeted him with a fist to the face. Elsword howled in pain, cradling his nose in both hands.

"I'm not Aisha." Speka seethed, eyes reddening with tears. "Don't you dare mention her name again!" Her shrill voice caught the attention of nearly every knight in the room. I bit on y lower lip, wishing the ground would swallow me up whole.

"Calm down, lady." Elsword's face flushed with red, I didn't know if it was because of the alcohol or anger. "Someone is on their-"

Speka socked him once more in the face. She spat out a variety of curses at him, filling the hall with her burning hate, before sprinting out.

"Eve," Amos squeaked. "W-what did t-those words mean?"

"N-nothing," Eve stammered. "You must never repeat what she said, Amos. Those are not kind words."

Elsword hammered both fists on the table," women," he spat before storming out.

Elesis could be heard cursing before running after her brother, Noel followed shortly behind her. The rest of the table remained silent, our lack of response ultimately drove any curious eyes away.

'Well that was an utter failure.' I told Eun.

 _At least you handled the situation well. We can try again another day._

'We don't have enough time to try again. Scarlet is bound to find the next El Shard soon and we're stuck here arguing over the same things again.'

I rested my head on the table and sighed.

Speka and Elsword was right, I thought grimly. This was all my fault. If I hadn't been recruited everyone would still be fine. I made this group fall apart, no one's to blame but me.

"Hey, Ara." Chung spoke up so quietly I nearly missed him.

"Save your breath," I groaned. "I know everything is my fault. I don't need you reminding me, I can do that myself."

"That's good to know, but I wasn't about to blame you." He chuckled. "I was curious as to why you wanted to resume the search."


	12. To Trust Or Not To Trust

I shot my head up from the table and locked eyes with Chung, he stared back at me with raised brows.

"Y-you asked why I wanted to resume our mission?" I repeated tentatively, those fateful words felt foreign on my tongue.

"That's what I said," he answered nonchalantly.

"I am quite curious to know your answer as well." Eve poked her head out from behind Chung. "Raven was also wondering the same thing."

 _This is our chance!_ Eun beamed.

Their sudden interest completely rendered me speechless. I've gotten so used to their hate and rejection it almost felt wrong to receive their support.

"Well? Are we just gonna keep staring at you or what?" Chung snapped me out of my mindless daze.

"S-sorry, I-I was a bit caught off guard. I-I didn't actually think anyone would be curious..." I trailed off until my voice faded into nothingness. "A-anyways, I brought up the mission again because of a few letters I've been getting."

Chung's eyes seemed to brighten at my response," letters? Do you know who sent them?"

I shook my head," the author only stated they were an ally." I elaborated, darting my eyes side to side.

Once I was sure we were clear of any Red Knight captains, I proceeded to reveal the letters to them. They listened without interruption, simply bobbing their head with each new piece of information.

"That all sounds really cryptic." Raven said once I was finished.

"The detail in each note scares me." Eve admitted. "That leads to another question; how much should we trust these letters?"

"W-well the second letter was accurate." I began without confidence, if I had known these guys would genuinely curious about the letters I would've put more thought into them. "I-I bet the others are too..."

No one responded.

This is hopeless, I thought grimly. I doubt they'd believe me, but I can't blame them. I was the one who messed up their lives, they have every right distrust me.

"I don't think it's smart to rely solely on these letters." Chung finally shattered the silence. "It could be a trap for all we know."

I knew it. Why did I even think of telling them in the first place?

"But it concerns me how they know about the El Shards," Eve added. "Not to mention their knowledge about our mission."

"Ara, are you sure you don't know the one behind these letters?" Raven asked, almost accusingly. He was most likely suspicious of me and my connections.

"I-I swear on my life." I answered in an instant, though that alone didn't seem to assure his trust in me.

"Maybe we should go find El Shards again." Amos piped in softly. I nearly squealed at his response.

"We can't," Raven pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wish we could but we're not qualified to carry out the search."

Someone in the hall dropped their fork on the floor, releasing a pitched ring into the vast space.

"That being said," Chung's eyes wandered our surroundings before continuing. "The demons are probably out there looking for them while we're stuck here trying to defend the castle."

"I am sure the new search party will resume the mission promptly." Eve sounded as if she was trying to convince herself. "T-they must take on the mission soon, considering the rising casualties of this war."

"You have a point." Chung muttered thoughtfully.

"No," I blurted. Once realizing what I just said my face flushed. "I-I've been thinking. M-maybe we should take action into our own hands."

"Why?" Nearly everyone asked at the same time.

"We're clearly not strong enough." Raven elaborated. "The new search party is more than capable of taking on this task."

"I-I know, but do you really think the new team w-wants to leave Velder to find the remaining Shards? Wouldn't they rather stay here and defend what remains of Velder?"

"You do bring up a good question," Eve muttered. I wanted to jump out of my seat and hug for that response.

Raven clicked his tongue," this is crazy. We don't even know if the letters are worth trusting."

I wanted to respond to his comment but I couldn't quite find the right words. I raced through my head for a reply but all my ideas fell flat before I got the chance to voice them.

Eun detected my distress and abruptly took over," this is not about the letters anymore." Eun spoke up a bit too loudly.

I urged Eun to pipe down into a whisper. The last thing I wanted was some random knight eavesdropping on us.

The others seemed freeze at the sudden change of voice.

"Each of you, including Ara, has forgotten about the harm El Shards can do." Eun went on, this time in a softer tone. "If our enemies find any more El Shards, we might as well throw ourselves into Death's scythe. I do not trust the letters entirely, but they do bring up a good point. We _need_ to resume our search."

"Wow, Ara, how do you change your voice like that?" Amos asked, awestruck. The others easily saw through the new persona now taking over me.

"Eun," Eve greeted curtly—Eun responded with a tight nod. "How do we know we can trust _you_?"

Eun remained surprisingly calm, though I felt its frustration pounding in my head.

"You do not have to believe me, nor do you need to trust me. Your job is to decide whether or not you would like continue this mission—whether you wish for your Kingdom to live in war or peace."

Eun retreated back before anyone could answer, I wish Eun could've stayed out longer to talk with them. I sheepishly announced my return to the group before falling into silence.

No one spoke a word for the next few minutes, only a rhythmic tapping of a finger filled in the void.

"I really want to believe you," Eve said softly. "But I refuse to trust the letters."

"O-oh," I blurted, my heart sank at her response.

"I'm with Eve on this one." Chung piped in. "This sounds too much like a trap. The demons might've planted those letter to...lure you out." He shifted his eyes elsewhere.

"I doubt Scarlet is trying to lure me out." I replied coolly. Eve shifted uncomfortably at the sound of the demon's name. "If she was, I doubt she'd want to sabotage her soldiers." I added.

"I see where you're coming from" Raven mused. My heart fluttered for a moment at the possibility of his support. "Still, there's no saying the author behind those notes have good intentions."

That single spark of hope vanished as quickly as it appeared. I held back a frown and responded," let's just forget the letters for one moment. Do you guys honestly think it's good to abandon the El search until the end of this war?"

"There will be a stronger team to carry on our work," Eve pointed out.

"They'll look for it after the war." I reminded her. "The demons are probably looking for the Shards _now._ "

Eve furrowed her brows," I-I still think we are incapable of continuing the mission."

I wanted to pull my hair out. It drove me crazy to hear the same things from them over and over again. They can only see what can be done _after_ the war. No one is brave enough to see what must be done _now_.

"Ara, we've been expelled from the mission." Chung reminded me softly. "We can't just waltz to the Red Knight Captains and tell them we're gonna resume the mission."

"I-I know that, but still…" I couldn't see the point in continuing the conversation. I've hit a dead end, I should give up while I can.

"You should forget about the letters, Ara." Raven suggested, his voice held no hostility. "They can't be good."

"Y-yeah, I guess you're right." I pretended to slump in defeat. "They do seem-"

"I'll help Ara," Amos chirped abruptly.

"No," Eve and Raven responded together. Amos pouted at the immediate response.

"Amos, I will not allow you to endanger yourself." Eve added sternly.

"I won't be in danger," he pressed on. "I have Ara to protect me."

I'd be lying if I said his comment didn't warm my heart.

"Amos," Raven sighed. "We're at war right now-"

"I know," he cut Raven off promptly. "I can fight too."

"Elemental orbs are-" Eve stopped herself mid sentence. With a sharp breath in she went on," the orbs alone will not be enough."

"You're only saying that because you don't know how powerful they are." Amos shot back. Eve's jawline tightened at his response but she didn't comment any further.

"Amos, those orbs won't be enough to protect you." Raven tried to reason.

"Yes they will," Amos answered in an instant. "You'll see, when I use them in a fight-"

"Amos, that's enough!" Raven snapped, his voice booming through the noiseless mess hall. "Elemental orbs won't help in a fight. You'll be killed in an instant if you try pelting an army with them."

I felt my jaw drop at his response. Chung shifted on his seat but didn't comment on Raven's response.

"W-why don't you ever believe in me?" Amos' voice trembled.

Raven's expression, once hardened with frustration, dropped with regret," look, I-I didn't mean-"

"You don't have to lie, Raven." Amos jumped out of his seat, hands balled into tiny fists. "I'll just talk to someone who does believe in me."

Amos charged toward the exit of the hall just as Raven opened his mouth to reply. He cursed under his breath, shot up and ran after him.

"I apologize for Amos' behaviour today." Eve said, calmly helping herself up from her seat. She dusted her spotless dress off and huffed," Amos has been rather moody lately. It is nearly impossible to keep him happy now."

"O-oh," Chung scratched his neck. "Uh...hope he'll feel better soon."

Eve looked as if she wanted to reply, but she simply tightened her lips together and turned her head away," I-I enjoyed talking with you two. N-now if you will excuse me."

Eve began her way down the hall and toward the exit, leaving Chung and I alone at the table. Although I was free from Elsword and Speka's toxic glares, my stomach continued to twist into tight knots.

"So what are you gonna do with the letters?" Chung asked once Eve was out from earshot.

"I-I might throw t-them away." I shifted my eyes to the side. "They might get m-me into trouble if I kept them."

"Right…" Chung replied skeptically. "Well, enough about those weird letters—"he slid out of his seat"—let me get us some food."

"Y-you don't have to, I can get it myself." Just as I attempted to help myself up, Chung planted a firm hand on my shoulder and kept me down—the room suddenly grew hotter.

"Don't worry about it," he tightened his grip on me. "I still owe you for saving my life. Just sit tight and let me get lunch."

* * *

Lunch went by in a flash. I made small talk with Chung, both of us acting as if the talk about the El Shards had never happened. Though we didn't talk as much as we used to, I enjoyed every second. I'd rather have small talk than to be ignore completely.

He left for his afternoon patrol shortly after finishing his meal. Once I finished eating, Eun suggested to use the remainder of my day to train.

I scavenged the castle grounds for an empty room to train in. After what felt like hours of searching I settled in the castle's spacious garden. The occasional knight, bored and tired from their patrol, marched through the green space, leaving the area empty majority of the time.

I chose to train by a group fruit trees, using their dome of leaves to shield me from the afternoon heat.

 _The ultimate attack strongly emphasizes on energy._ Eun began to explain. _When you perform this attack, you will be releasing both your life and magical energy. This attack is fatal to both you and your opponent._

I bobbed my head mutely.

 _The effects of this attack can possibly be lessoned by drawing energy from an external force, like a magical amulet; however, your life will be at risk regardless._

"S-sounds fun." I swallowed nervously.

 _Now, let us begin our training._

Eun wasted no time to teach me the various techniques to gather energy. Initially, I thought I'd breeze through the first lesson with ease; how hard was it to gather my energy into one focal point? After the first few minutes of training I began to feel the weight of Eun's lesson.

To much of Eun's frustration, I often lost focus during the exercises, thus dispersing my collected energy in a miniature explosion and releasing a buffet of wind around me.

 _I told you not to get distracted!_ Eun scolded for the hundredth time.

I landed onto my back with a thump, my heart racing as if I'd ran a marathon.

"Sorry," I gasped in between breaths.

 _Stand up and try again._

I groaned and returned to my feet. Within seconds I was back on the ground again, panting and cursing at my lack of concentration.

The sun was golden yolk by the time I had successfully performed Eun's lesson. Though not satisfied with my results, Eun allowed me to call it a day.

"Finally," I allowed the gathered energy to slither out my spear and into the air.

 _I will expect better results tomorrow. Rest up for tonight._

I barely had the energy to reply. I grunted in response and dragged my tired legs back to the castle. My head was still pounding from the day's work, all I wanted was a good night's sleep (as if that was possible) and a warm meal.

I sluggishly dragged myself into the castle. The halls were quiet and bathed in amber light. I absentmindedly wandered down the silent halls, my mind and muscles aching with fatigue.

"Ara?" Chung's voice sounded from behind, snapping me back to reality.

"O-oh," I twirled myself around. "Uh...hi." I absentmindedly combed my hand through my tangled hair.

He was still in his gleaming white armour, his massive cannon held effortlessly in one hand.

He smiled amusedly at me," you look like you had a busy day."

"I was just training." I answered with heated cheeks. "D-did you just return from patrol?"

"Yeah," he proceeded toward me. The halls started spinning at his approach. "Wanna head to the Mess Hall together?"

I was hoping to take a quick shower first but I suppose that can wait. It's not everyday I get invited to dinner by an old friend.

"Sure," I answered coolly.

We proceeded down the hall with no words exchanged between us. Normally I would've been uncomfortable with the silence but today it felt soothing. It was nice to be in his presence without getting into a fight.

"It sucks how we have to keep the survivors outside." Chung said to break the silence.

"D-did you have to patrol the camp today?" I asked.

He bobbed his head," it was awful. I wish we would at least let the kids and elderly into the castle. The living conditions out there are horrendous."

"I wouldn't be surprised if those people despise us." I said under my breath. "We're turning down their request for shelter and warmth."

"At least they're alive." Chung raked his hand through his hair. "The poor folks in Hamel didn't get that lucky."

The air between us thickened, not even the warm golden light enveloping us could brighten our mood.

There's already been so many unnecessary casualties. How many more people will we lose in this war—just how many more lives are we forced to end?

"A-Ara, do you honestly think we can stop this fighting by collecting the last El Shards?" He looked at me, eyes pleading for an answer.

"I-" I paused. Knowing me, I'll _want_ to reassure of the future results. I _want_ to believe the El Shards are truly the key to stopping this conflict. "I-I don't know."

"Oh," he sounded deflated.

"But I do know more people will die if the demons collect more Shards." I added confidently. This was something Eun and I both agreed on.

"You really want to resume that search, eh?" He chuckled dryly.

"Yeah," I noted the distant look in his blue eyes. "What about you? Do you want to resume the search?"

He tightened his jaw," I don't know what I want to do."

I can't blame him. Going on another El Shard hunt was like walking head first into a fire, we've already lost enough people to its greedy flames.

The familiar set of wooden doors came into view ahead, one of the doors left ajar.

"Vanessa, just calm down and think about it." Elesis voice sounded from beyond the doors.

I glanced over at Chung, he seemed oblivious to the conversation ahead.

"I can't calm down!" Vanessa screamed.

Chung jumped at the sudden noise," wow, did you-"

"Shh." I promptly cut him off. He obediently snapped his mouth shut,

I glanced up and down the halls, making sure no one was in sight. Once sure we were alone I gestured him to proceed closer to the library doors. We gingerly crept toward the ajar door as Vanessa's rage continued to burn.

"How can you expect me to be calm after hearing such a ridiculous request?!" Vanessa went on loudly.

"It's not ridiculous." This time it was Lowe who answered.

Chung and I crouched behind the ajar door, eyes scanning the empty halls feverishly.

"We are at war with the demons," Vanessa went on. "I will not leave this castle until this war is over."

"Van, we're not asking you to abandon Velder." Noel piped in nonchalantly. I wouldn't be surprised if he had his lute with him. "We just want you to find the remaining Shards."

Chung and I exchanged looks. Chung looked as if he wanted to say something but thankfully he kept his mouth shut.

"How can you expect to win this battle with a pretty jewel?" Vanessa challenged.

I narrowed my eyes at the door. A part of me wanted to storm into that room and tell Vanessa everything the Shard was capable of. She doesn't understand what the Shards can do, she's never seen one in action before.

"We believe the Shards can and will aid the demons." Lowe explained. It was a wonder he's able to control his temper. "Vanessa, my knights have seen what the Shard has done—I saw the destruction a single Shard can cause."

"I doubt those hollow-headed demons can figure out the capability of the Shards." Vanessa snapped.

 _I feel insulted by that woman._ Eun growled.

"Elesis' brother told us they lost two Shards to them, Van." Noel's voice was dry of humour now.

"Those _hollow headed demons_ destroyed hundreds of lives in Hamel." Elesis reminded her sternly. "They recently attempted to invade the Hamel palace; do you remember how many innocent civilians and knights died to their attack?"

"But they didn't use those _Shards_ now did they?" Vanessa shot back.

"But do you remember how strong they've become?!" Elesis bellowed. "Ruben has been burned to the ground, Elder was destroyed during the Harmony Festival, Bethma and Velder are barely holding on, Hamel is in danger of a massive invasion; is that not enough to convince you to find the El Shards?"

"No, Elesis, it doesn't." Vanessa responded. "Yes, the casualties and deaths are horrible, but that doesn't mean those demons are using the Shards. It just means they've been training, as should we."

Chung didn't stick around any longer to eavesdrop on them, he helped himself up and proceeded toward the Mess Hall. Though I wanted to stay and listen further, I followed him out.

"I-I didn't know about all those places." He whispered once I caught up to him.

We slowed our walk to a sluggish pace.

"M-me too." I whispered.

I knew Ruben was destroyed, but I didn't know places like Elder and Bethma were affected so negatively either.

I wonder if Camilla was still alive. Maybe she escaped to Bethma—if she knew where it was. And that lizard kid we helped in Bethma, is he still alive; is his dad still with him? Altera, though suspended in air, can't be doing any better. The Nasods and Ponggos alone can't defend themselves against an army of demons.

If this keeps up we'll no longer have any more allies. All of our loved ones and friends will die if those demons continue to obtain more Shards. Yet Vanessa refuses to believe the Shards are linked to the demons' strength.

"She's not going to find those Shards," I wiped my eyes on my sleeves. "She doesn't understand the Shards' power like we do."

"I-I know." Chung halted in his tracks. I promptly stopped myself from continuing forward.

He kept his head bowed, hands balled into trembling fists beside him and long hair curtained over his face.

Even if I couldn't see the emotion painted on his face, I had an idea of how he felt. "I want this war to end." I told him softly. "I-I don't know if getting the Shards will help increase our odds of winning but I want to try. Plus, I feel safer with the Shards on our side."

I looked out the window. The golden yolk in the sky was now hidden behind the castle's wall, its amber streaks still painted the endless world above. Even as a war was raging amongst the land, the heavens continued to shower us in her beauty.

"You'll need help finding the last Shards." Chung said, rubbing his hand against his eyes. "I'll see what I can do."

His comment made my jaw drop. I didn't expect him to jump on board with my idea so quickly.

"But that doesn't mean I trust you again." He added hastily. His voice was hardened with lingering anger, but his reddened eyes was empty of hate. "I just agree with your idea."

I turned my attention toward the window again, admiring the golden threads cascading into the inky blackness of the night. Even as the dying sunlight was succumbing to darkness, its brilliance continued fight against its dark oppressor.

"I'm fine with that." I replied—and for the first time, in a long time, I smiled.

 **This story has been progressing pretty slow (for obvious reasons) but the next few chapters really will start to pick up the pace ;)**


	13. Coincidences

**Little bit late but I hope you guys don't mind :) I'll be editing the next two chapter some more later so please excuse the mistakes for now.**

I jolted awake to a thundering roar, my heart racing a thousand miles in my chest. I feverishly scanned my surroundings. My tiny bedroom was still cloaked in darkness with the exception of silver moonlight streaking in from between the curtains. Once sure I was safe from danger, I reached for my nightstand and curled my fingers around Eun.

 _I was awakened by the explosion as well._ Eun said once it was in my grasp.

"W-what do you think it was." I asked, hands still trembling from the abrupt noise.

 _I do not know._

Muffled shouting, accompanied with clanging metal, sounded just beyond my closed door.

 _We should investigate. I cannot imagine the noise was good._

"I hope no one got hurt." I tossed my thin covers to the side and jumped out of bed.

I effortlessly needled my way through the pile of clothes littering my floor and threw open the door. Several knights were gathered in the halls discussing the sudden noise, many were still adorned in their sleepwear.

I shut my bedroom door and proceeded down the inky black hallway, straining to find an answer to the explosion. Knights and castle-workers alike were littered in the halls, whispering and speculating on possible sources of the sound.

"Did you see anything strange while patrolling?" One of the knights asked their friend.

"Nah, but I bet the patrols in the camp saw something." Another replied.

I came to a halt upon catching three shadowy figures gathered by the window, one of which was wielding a slender sword, their blade glistening in the moon's silver radiance.

"Eve, Raven, Amos!" I broke into a light sprint toward them. They all turned their attention from the inky window.

"Ara, do you know what that scary noise was?" Amos, who was cradled in Eve's arms, asked meekly.

I shook my head," I just woke up to it."

"We did too," Eve turned her attention back toward the window, eyes hardening. "I initially feared the castle was being invaded, but it appears my suspicions are wrong."

"It's unnerving to not know what the source was—"Raven sheathed his sword"—who knows what's happening out there?"

I shifted on my feet uncomfortably," er...do you think it has to do with the Hope Bridge?"

Raven narrowed his eyes on me while Eve bit her lower lip. Amos darted his curious eyes between his two guardians, as if waiting for them to further explain my comment.

"I thought we agreed those letters were untrustworthy." Raven said tentatively.

"I-I know," I bowed my head, cheeks burning. "I-it's just you never know. Maybe the note was right."

"Ara," Raven raked his hand through his messy hair. "You can't just trust everything you see."

"B-but what if-"

"There is no _what if's._ " Eve piped in curtly. "We cannot rely on chances anymore. We have too much to lose at this point." She choked up on her last sentence.

"Eve, what did Ara mean by the _note_?" Amos asked.

"It means nothing." Raven answered for Eve. "Right, Ara?"

He locked his golden eyes on me. I curled my fists, glaring back at his hardened gaze," yeah." I replied tightly. "Don't worry about it, Amos."

Amos didn't looked pleased with my response but he didn't comment any further on the matter. Raven evidently relaxed at my answer and turned his attention to the outside.

I know I shouldn't put so much faith in those mysterious letters, but how can you blame me? So far their predictions have been detailed and accurate.

 _You are too trusting, Ara._ Eun chided calmly. _You cannot believe everything you hear. Remember what happened with Scarlet?_

"What do you guys think it was?" I challenged Eve and Raven, purposely ignoring Eun's comment.

"Another invasion on the city?" Raven shrugged. "Or maybe they destroyed a building thinking it had survivors in it."

"As long as they do not come here—"Eve adjusted her grip around Amos"—I do not care what they destroy in Velder."

Hammering footsteps sounded from the hall on our right. Raven doubled back from us, unsheathed his sword, and faced the direction of the noise. Eve cursed under her breath and hastily positioned herself behind him, her grip on Amos tightened.

I planted myself beside Raven and raised my closed fists; I really wish I had brought my spear with me when I left my room.

The shadowy hall before us seemed to stretch out for miles, silver light poured in from the windows, casting shadows along the stone corridor. Raven took a step forward as a crimson red figure emerged from the inky veil ahead.

I allowed my fists to drop as the figure drew closer toward us," it's Elesis." I announced with a sigh.

Despite my reassurance, Raven refused to lower his sword. It wasn't until Elesis was a few meters in front of us when he allowed his guard to drop.

"You three," she panted, her long red hair in tangles. "I need y'all to get dressed and headed toward the castle's main entrance. You'll be given further instructions there."

Raven and Eve exchanged looks, "w-what's happening?" Raven asked.

"The mages we sent out to investigate just came back with troubling news." Elesis said, absentmindedly biting on her nails. "There's raid of demons attacking one of our posts. They need backup as soon as possible."

I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

"R-right." Raven unsheathed his sword, glancing back at Eve and Amos. "Go get ready, Eve. Once you're done we'll find a safe place for Amos to stay."

Eve bobbed her head and took off opposite of Elesis.

"Sorry about troubling you guys so late," Elesis added once Amos was out of sight. "Especially when sleep is so rare to come across nowadays."

"It's fine," Raven waved his hand dismissively. "It's just part of the job."

Elesis smiled apologetically," well, I better inform the remaining knights about the situation."

"Wait!" I blurted before she got a chance to push past us. The question I wanted to ask her made my legs weak and my head dizzy. At the corner of my eye, I caught Raven narrowing his eyes at me; he knew what I was going to ask. "E-Elesis, where exactly are the demons attacking?"

Elesis arched her brow," why does it matter?"

"I-I was just curious." I darted my eyes to the side.

Raven shifted uneasily on his spot. I, on the other hand, kept my gaze locked on the corridor behind Elesis, hand grasping tightly around my hairpin. I could hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears, its cries seemed to intensify with each passing second.

"If you _must_ know." Elesis' answered tentatively. "The demons are attacking Hope Bridge."

* * *

"Mages I need you in the back! Swordsmen come up front! You—"an unknown Red Knight captain pressed their hand on my back and pushed me forward"—I need you in frontlines!"

The castle entrance, lit only with amber torches, was flooded with knights. The castle was buzzing with noise as people speculated on the cause of the late night commission.

I squeezed through the crowd of armoured mages, many of whom were complaining about the early call on duty, until I managed to merge with the line of swordsmen. Their blades and icy armour gleamed under the waving amber torchlight.

'Eun, we should've paid closer attention to the letters. We were warned about this attack beforehand.'

 _This may be a coincidence._ Eun answered sharply. _Do not place your trust on such cryptic information so easily._

'Eun, those letters warned us about the Harmony Festival _and_ the Hope Bridge attack. How can those be coincidences?'

 _How can you be sure they are not a trap?_

A tap on the shoulder pried me out of my conversation with Eun. I tilted my head back to see Chung standing merely inches behind me. His long hair was still in knots, I had the strong urge to help him straighten it out.

"Ara, do you know what this is about?" Chung asked in a whisper.

I knitted my brows and nodded.

His blue eye widened, but before he could answer I cut him off," I can't tell you here." I said, turning my head back to the front. "We can't risk someone hearing us."

"R-right," he replied, sounding deflated.

I was unwillingly pushed away from him as the frontlines shifted to allow new knights to join the formation. A part of me wanted to shuffle back and be closer to him again but that would only arouse suspicion among the Red Knight captains.

"Raven, you do not think that Ara's letter held some truth do you?" I caught Eve's soft voice sound from within the crowd.

I bit my lip and prayed no one would take notice of her comment.

"N-no," Raven answered in an instant. "It could be a trap to lure us out."

"R-right." Eve stammered. "I-I thought the same thing."

"Attention!" Elesis' voice blared through the crowd like a siren. Within seconds the castle went mute.

"I am sure you all were awoken by the explosion earlier." Vanessa piped in. She proceeded to explain the reports from Hope Bridge. While majority of the knights kept quiet during her report, many others gasped and shrieked at the news.

"We are going to assist in the fight for the Hope Bridge." Elesis added once Vanessa finished speaking. "If we lose this fight the demons will have full control of who goes in or out of our city." She paused, allowing the information to root into our heads. "I urge you all to give it your best out there."

"Open the castle doors!" Vanessa ordered.

Just as she requested, the set of metal doors creaked open. Bone chilling air rushed into our warm confines, its icy breath washing away lingering strands of fatigue in our bodies. I felt my heart leap with both excitement and fear.

We promptly marched out into the inky night, several mages were positioned around our group to provide us with light; Speka happened to be one of the mages walking grudgingly by the frontlines.

Shadows of the once great city loomed over us as we trudged further into her dead streets, separating us from the moon's radiance. Within minutes my fingers grew numb and my teeth clattering. I attempted to hide my hands in my sleeves but that alone wasn't enough to shield me from the icy sting of the night.

I nearly forgot about our mission (I was too preoccupied with staying warm) until a scent of iron and salt tickled my nose. My heart hammered with energy again, as if warning me to turn back from the dangers ahead.

Elesis ordered us to prepare for battle when the cries of the upcoming battle became evident. The scent of bloodshed intensified as we drew closer. At one point I was tempted to hide my face in my robe, fearing I might vomit from the putrid odours.

"Halt," Elesis snapped in a soft whisper.

One by one we came to a stop. Several knights cursed under their breaths while others whimpered. I perked my head up to catch a better glimpse of the fight ahead, I wish I hadn't.

A damaged bridge, constructed from stone, was stretched over a blue mass below. Demons, all armed with swords, shields and armour, was pouring from the bridge and into the remains of Velder, though they didn't get very far. The remaining Red Knights continued to fight against the massive army, refusing to retreat despite their slim chances of survival.

It was heartbreaking yet inspiring to see those knights throw themselves into the enemy's' hands for the sake of their people. I wish I could be so selfless like them.

"There are bound to be demons lurking in the shadows." Elesis warned. "Keep your guards up at all times. One wrong move a-and you're dead."

"Those frontlines seem like a problem." Vanessa noted calmly. "Elesis, I suggest we try pushing the army back onto the bridge."

"That will severely decrease the grounds we have for battle." Elesis answered promptly.

"It'll also push some of the enemies into the ocean." Vanessa pointed out matter-of-factly. "We can't let any more of those _things_ in. We don't necessarily need to fight on the bridge, Elesis, we simply need to reduce their numbers."

Elesis sighed," fine." She replied grudgingly. "Alright, people, I want everyone to work together and push the demon army back. And no matter what the circumstance may be, I don't want any of you stepping onto that bridge!"

"Yes, m'am!" Our group chanted so loud I bet the enemies heard us.

"Let's move!" Elesis unsheathed her colossal sword and charged forward.

The silence that had once cloaked our group shattered under our thundering footsteps. The demon army took notice of our presence almost in an instant. A small group of enemy swordsmen slipped past the remaining Red Knights and charged toward us.

Elesis barked an order for selected knights to charge forward and confront the enemies. The ordered knights broke from their position and charged toward with respective targets while the rest of us continued our path toward the bridge.

We broke into battle the instant the enemies were within reach. Vanessa commanded us, the front lines, to enclose the pool of demons. This was an attempt to prevent any more enemies from infiltrating the city.

Mages were strategically positioned around the frontlines to not only aid us in our fight, but to also provide us with light during the battle.

For the first couple minutes it seemed as though our plan was working. The demon army was quickly being pushed back as our troops continued to press onward. Unsurprisingly, the enemies soon replenished their numbers as quickly as we killed them off.

The battlefield was now coated in red, it was impossible to see whose blood stained the ground. The heavens, now painted in magenta and gold, was tainted with red arrows and magical missiles.

'Eun, we can't keep fighting like this.' I plunged my spear into the chest of a neighbouring demon to my left, but before I could catch my breath another demon charged toward me from the opposite side.

I cursed and doubled back, barely missing the end of their blade.

 _What do you suggest we do then?_ Eun challenged just as I hooked my leg behind my attackers knees. With the enemy now forced to the ground, I stabbed my spear into their skull.

'I-I don't know. Think of a new battle plan?' I lied. I wanted to charge into the army and find Chloe. If the letter was right, and I strongly believe it is, then she'll be attacking us at any minute. Continuing this endless battle with the demons was suicide.

Before either Eun or I could get another word in a flash of purple light zipped inches past my head, burning my scalp with its lightning speed. At the corner of my eyes I noted the various purple lights flashing into our army.

My muscles froze as someone wailed behind me.

"Moonlight Slash!" I swiped my spear horizontally at the enemies surrounding me. While my attack simply grazed the undamaged armour of several demons, others dropped dead on the floor, their opened chests oozing with crimson water.

With my enemies stunned from the attack, I took a quick glance back. A nameless knight was sprawled on the ground like a neglected rag doll, embedded in their forehead was a single purple arrow.

The glowing arrow stared tauntingly back at me. As if mocking me for ignoring the warnings; for not trying hard enough to save this innocent knight's life.

Eun abruptly took over and blocked two incoming blades with our spear. With a snarl Eun whipped our weapon across the attackers' chest with all its might. Our blade ate through the armour like it was made of tissue paper.

"Eun, it's Chloe." I gasped once control was given back to me.

 _You cannot be sure, Child._ Eun chided. _The demon archers must have shot those arrows earlier._

"No, the archers can't shoot arrows like that!" I protested, swinging my spear at the demons.

Once again I pried my eyes from my enemies and scanned my surroundings. Another wave of purple streaks, this time with twice as many arrows, rocketed up from behind the demons and into our army, no doubt hitting their targets with inhuman precision.

 _How can you be so certain? I am sure with proper training the demon archers can-_

"Then why aren't all the archers attacking with purple arrows?" I snapped.

Eun's agitation intensified, _Ara, you are thinking back to that letter, are you not?_

"Eun-"

 _How many times must you be tricked before you learn not to be so naive?!_

I felt a tinge of pain shoot through my heart," Eun, I-I know it's a risk to trust that letter, b-but I really think we should give it a chance."

I half-heartedly swung my spear at the demons, just enough so they'd double back from me.

"There's too much coincidences involving those letters." I reasoned, though a part of me nagged at me to give up. Asking Eun to trust those letters was like asking a fish to survive without water. "Eun, p-please. For once just t-trust me."

A demon hurled their sword toward me. I blocked the attack with ease and pushed my foot into their chest. With the demon caught off balance a neighbouring knight took that chance to end its life.

 _I will trust you just this once._ Eun's comment seemed to make the rising sun shine with greater intensity. _If this ends in failure, you will listen to my future suggestions without fail. Do we have a deal?_

I was about to answer but the words didn't want to leave my mouth. What if I was only thinking the letters were true? Do I really want to take this chance?

No, those letters _must_ be trustworthy. I highly doubt Scarlet (or any enemy demon for that matter) would reveal their attack plan to me just so they could trick me. The number of soldiers killed wouldn't be worth it.

 _Well? What is your answer, Ara?_

"Y-yeah," I answered before any more doubts could hold me back. "We have a deal."

 _Very well._ Eun sounded disgruntled with my answer. _What is your plan?_

"I-I can't take on Chloe by myself and there's no way I'll be able to plow through this army alone." I thought to myself out loud. "C-Chung, I-I'll need his help."

 _Ara, I do not think fighting with him alone will be enough to plow through the enemy lines._

'I'll figure something out as I go.'

I turned my eyes away from the battle and studied my surroundings. I felt my heart leap with excitement upon catching the purple-haired mage standing just a couple meters behind me. Without a second thought I broke from my position and squeezed through the clutter of knights.

"Speka!" I called out from a distance. She ignored me and shot a bolt of lightning toward the crowd of demons, her attack nearly hit a swordsman in front of her.

I huffed at her lack of response and forced myself closer to her. Once I was standing beside her I spoke up again," Speka." I made sure to raise my voice, giving her no excuse to ignore.

She scowled," what do you want?" She asked with hateful eyes glued on the enemies.

"I-I need you help." I told her bluntly.

Her gaze wavered from the enemies for a brief second," help?" She promptly regained her focus on the foes. "What makes you think I'll help you?"

 _Interesting. I did not expect you to turn to her for help._

"Please," I bowed. "I-I promise I won't ever talk to you again."

"Right," Speka's voice dragged out emotionlessly.

"I-I'll avoid you so it'll seem like I never existed. I'll do anything, j-just please help me with something."

She hummed," I _would_ like to live my life pretending you were dead." She mused out loud.

Biting back the tears I asked," d-does that mean you'll help?"

She sighed," fine." Her eyes rolled lazily away from her targets." What do you want me to do?"

I straightened my back, beaming at her response.

"Just follow me." I said, already pushing through the bundle of allies. She groaned but went after me regardless.

I didn't need to traverse very far before spotting Chung amongst the archers, firing blue missiles into the opposing side. I was lucky the Red Knight Captains didn't notice my movements.

"Chung!" I screamed, pushing aside an archer to reach him. The archer cursed at my disturbance while the others chided me to return to the frontlines.

"A-Ara?" Chung fired one last missile into the air before drawing his attention to me. "Hey, are you alright?"

I dropped the volume of my voice and hastily told him my concern about the letter's prediction. His skin faded into a sickly pale as I went on.

He cursed once I was finally finished," so in summary, we're all gonna die if we continue fighting?"

"Not unless we defeat Chloe." I corrected. "She's the biggest threat to us right now."

"Ara, i-it's not that I don't believe you." He began tentatively. "I-I just don't think we can get to this Chloe person alone. Maybe we should tell Elesis-"

"Tell Elesis what?" I challenged a bit too loudly. "That someone has been breaking into the castle to deliver me notes; that some stranger wants us to resume the El Search?"

"Letters?" Speka quoted. "What are you rambling about?"

He tightened his jaw," then what should we do?" He challenged tightly, ignoring Speka's question.

"We need help from reliable people." I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the line of archers.

He didn't question my plan any further as we shuffled through our remaining army. I scanned my eyes over the surrounding area as fast as I could. Nearby knights muttered in confusion at our odd group, and at the fact that Chung and I were holding hands. It was clear we had to move fast before our own allies report us one of the captains.

I broke into a light jog, dragging Chung behind me, upon catching glimpse of Eve's silver head. The Nasod Queen was fighting in the frontlines with Raven closely by her side.

"Eve!" She turned her head toward us the moment I spoke her name.

Eve narrowed her eyes," Ara? What are you doing here with those two?"

"Shouldn't you guys be fighting somewhere else?" Raven asked while chopping down incoming demons."

"Eve and Raven, I-I really need your help." I hurriedly went on to explain my thoughts about the letter's warning.

"I thought we went over this already." Raven grunted, colliding his sword with an enemy spear. "We can't trust those letters."

"I-I understand why you don't trust them, but I really think the recent warning is legit." I explained hastily. "Y-you must've seen the purple arrows, Raven. T-they're stronger and faster than any of the other archer's."

"We _have_ seen may knights fall those attacks." Eve muttered.

"M-maybe they have a lead archer in the back." Raven snapped, though he didn't sound very confident in his claim. "It doesn't mean some corrupt elf is trying to kill us."

As if knowing someone was doubting her presence, another storm of purple arrows zipped into the sky and down on us. Chung cursed, freed his hand from my grip, and released a band of missiles at the purple streaks. While most of his projectiles successfully countered the incoming arrows it was not enough to protect the entire army from the lavender rain.

Screams erupted from around us. I didn't need to look back to know our numbers were dropping drastically.

"Even if the letter is a hoax," I began once the skies were clear of purple. "We still need to do something about that archer before any more of our people die."

"I-I do not know about this." Eve bit her lip. "Perhaps we should confide in a captain."

"Do you honestly think telling the Captains will really help?" I responded with a snap of a finger. I was only inches away from storming into the demon army myself, it would be easier than trying to convince the others to help me.

"Please trust me on this." I pleaded, my clammy hand tightened around my bloodstained spear. "W-we're gonna die if that archer continues firing at us. Our numbers will be severely limited once the Captains decide to change the attack plan. I-I know this is a risk but please just trust me this once."

Eve and Raven exchanged glances.

"Wow, hold up." Speka piped in. I grinded my teeth at her interruption, I almost forgot she was here, listening. "I might not know what she's rambling about, but you guys aren't serious about believing this liar's claims, right?" She chuckled nervously. "Remember what happened the last time we trusted her?"

I wanted to punch her, scream at her to shut up. It was already bad enough that the others were skeptical about the letters, she doesn't need to make it worse by pursuing them to distrust me.

"I believe her," Chung's answer made Speka's jaw drop.

"Have you gone mad, cannon boy?" She cackled. "How can you trust someone like her again? Don't you remember-"

"Yeah, I still remember her betrayal." He cut her off. It was hard not to smile at his response, even if he was calling me a traitor. "But it's different this time. I've seen the arrows attack and kill our knights. A-and...I've also seen the destruction of this city. I don't trust the letters completely, but I'm not gonna ignore their warnings completely. There's too many coincidences."

Speka opened her mouth to respond but Eve cut her off," I do not trust the letters completely either, but I believe it is crucial we stop the purple attacks."

"S-so you'll be helping me?" I asked.

Eve bobbed her head," I too think that consoling in the Captains will only cause harm to us. The unusual violet attacks are also concerning me, it does not settle well with me knowing we cannot defeat the archer behind it without permission. I will reassess my trust toward the letters if we do come across an elven archer."

"I-if my Queen agrees to help you then I will too." Raven's reply only made Speka groan louder.

"You realize she could get you all killed by rushing into the demon crowd, right?" Speka gestured to the horde of attackers. I was about to curse at her but Eun held me back.

"We will die here if that archer continues to fire at us." Eve's comeback made Speka's cheeks flush with anger.

"Enough arguing!" I shouted over my friends and enemies. "Speka, I need you to help create an opening for us to go in."

Speka crossed her arms," there's no way in hell I'll follow you in there."

"You don't have to come with us." I said through closed teeth. "I just need you to make an opening, we can deal with everything else without you."

For a second I thought hurt flash through the mage's eyes. I didn't mean for my words to come out to harshly, I only wanted to make it clear that she didn't need to come along.

Speka instantly wiped her face of emotion and turned toward the opposing army," it's not my problem if you guys die." She stretched her arm out, staff pointed at her targets. "You idiots ready?"

I tightened my grasp on my weapon and glanced at my team. Eve's two drones hovered protectively in front of her while Chung and Raven prepared their weapons.

"W-we're ready." My friends tense at those words, even I felt my muscles tightening. In reality we weren't ready to charge into Death's door, but this had to be done regardless if we were ready or not.

"Alright," Speka shrugged. The tip of her staff began to emit an dark violet hue. "Dark Wave!"

A blazing, plum-coloured ball shot out from her staff and into enemy lines. The attack continuously pushed into the wall of demons, plowing a narrow path for us to enter. Without another exchange of words we charged in.


	14. A Hero's Last Stand

Fighting through a crowd of bloodthirsty demons was much more challenging than I thought it'd be. Blades from an assortment of weaponry charged at us from all directions. Eun continuously saved me from being stabbed during our plow through the enemy lines.

Amongst the fighting I heard our Captains shouting at us from behind, of course the others were oblivious to their cries of anger. I can't even begin to imagine what kind of punishment we'll have to go through if we survive this.

We fought tirelessly in the demon crowd; the formation of the demons were just as the letter had predicted. There were several times where I was sure we'd die, but our small team managed to pull through and continue forward.

The number of demons had lessened significantly once we were on the narrow stone bridge. By then our bodies were aching and soaked in sweat. Death waited patiently amongst the enemies as we exerted our last efforts.

It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of the lone archer behind the horde of demons when my energy returned to my body," guys, I see the archer in the back!" I announced to my fatigued entourage

That alone was enough to encourage my team to press onward. Within mere minutes we had pushed through the swarm of enemies and broke into the 'clearing'. Our efforts were generously rewarded.

Standing before us was an elf with chocolate skin, her faded pink hair was tied into a messy ponytail. A navy blue bow rested on her curled fingertips. Two spiky, white creatures stood beside her like guard dogs. Where the creatures' mouth should've been was a crimson red orb. I could only imagine these were the Blood Eaters that I was warned about.

"An elf and two demonic guards," Eve whispered. "T-the letter _was_ right."

"Her name is Chloe," I told my team quietly. "She may look harmless but I heard she's really tough."

Eve didn't get a chance to reply as she spun herself around to defend against a surprise attack from the back. Raven cursed, twisted himself around and plunged his sword into the enemy's skull. I took a quick glance behind to see a massive herd of demons charging toward us. I felt my heart drop to my stomach at the number of enemies we still had to fight, as if facing Chloe alone wasn't terrifying enough.

Chloe laughed lightheartedly," brother and sisters, leave these humans to me. I can take care of them myself."

The incoming demons stopped promptly in their tracks. Hesitantly they turned away and left us alone with their mistress.

"Eve, are you okay?" Raven asked, keeping her gaze locked on the enemies.

"I am fine." Eve allowed her shoulders to relax.

"I'm impressed, humans." Chloe went on nonchalantly. We tentatively turned our attention away from the demon army and toward the archer. "Awe, you all look so cute." Chloe's magenta eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight.

Her twin guards growled at her comment. Chloe pouted," don't be like that, guys. I think these young humans are adorable."

"Uhh, Ara, are you sure this is the dangerous archer?" Chung whispered.

"I-it should be." I was starting to doubt the letter's warning. The only threat I could see was the two Blood Eaters.

"I must say, you humans have gotten smarter." Chloe said with a toothy grin. "I never would've thought you'd be smart enough to force your way back here, not when there was so many more enemies to eliminate out front. You all win a gold star!"

Okay, this was starting to get uncomfortable. It's one thing to have an enemy call you ' _cute_ ' but it was a completely different story when we're being treated like little kids.

"You caught me in a good mood. Let me give you guys a treat for working so hard to get here." Chloe stretched her arms up and opened her palms. Her bow fell from her grasp and clattered limply on the ground. I quickly noted the knife strapped to her armoured shorts.

"What just happened?" Raven blurted. Even her two guards seemed shocked at her response.

"I know you're here for little ol' me." She licked her lips, eyes piercing hungrily at Chung and Raven. Eve and I took a step forward. Despite the elf's unusual welcoming demeanor I wanted to beat her up. "For working so hard to get here I'll let you take the first hit. Guards, step aside please. It's rude to get in the way of our guests' attack."

Chloe's two guards reluctantly stepped aside, leaving their master completely vulnerable to an attack.

 _This elf is deceiving you. Do not fall for it!_ Eun warned.

'Don't worry, Eun, I wasn't planning on attacking her yet.'

"Ara, may I do the honors of killing the wretched elf?" Eve asked, grinding her teeth together.

"No, it's too easy." I chided. "Why would she be willing to leave herself open to an attack?"

"O-oh, right." Eve's cheeks flushed. I found it amusing how I'm the one scolding my friend for wanting to act recklessly.

Chung clicked his tongue in frustration," but what else are you supposed to do?"

"I-I'll think of something." I stammered.

Damn, I didn't think Chloe would react like this. I expected her to fight us the instant we emerged from the horde of demons. Instead she's willing to let us attack first. Yes, she still has a knife on hand, but that alone isn't enough to defend against the three of us, right?

"Well don't keep me waiting," the elf scoffed impatiently. "My arms are getting tired."

The letter told me to take out the guards with a far-range attack, I continued to muse. There must be a reason why the author was so against me getting close to the twin demons.

Then it clicked in my head. If I wasn't warned about the dangers beforehand I would've charged blindly into Chloe's trap. I wasted little to no time to explain my thoughts to my team. They listened without interruption.

"That's awfully generous of you to let us get the first move, Chloe." I spoke up once everyone was okay with our strategy.

"I _am_ a very generous elf." She winked. "Well, what are you waiting for? I'm right here."

"Fine with us," I pointed my blade toward her. "Charge!"

With weapons raised we charged at our defenceless enemy. She remained static as we pressed closer, not even her twin guards moved an inch to stop our approach. Just as she was in arm's reach a smile curled on her lips.

"Foolish-"

"Now!" I ordered. Chung and Eve both came to a skidding stop.

"Dread Chase!"

"Assault Spear!"

Chung launched a mass of blue missiles from his cannon while Eve summoned a colossal Nasod spear above her head. The duo released their attack on the twin guards, instantly destroying the greatest threats in our path.

Chloe's eyes bulged at the destruction of her trump card. Raven and I continued to charge and prepared ourselves to fight back.

"Sonic Slash!"

"Matchless Truth!"

Just as our attacks were about to make contact with Chloe she leaped out of the way. I cursed at her quick response. With a blink of an eye Chloe bolted forward, but before Raven and I could execute a second attack something collided into our ankles and forced us down on the ground.

 _Oof!_ I landed flat on my back, my head bouncing onto the hard surface. Despite the pounding of my skull I forced myself up.

"I can see why you were able to make it through the demon army." A foot connected to my chest, forcing back down again. "You're all very strong and clever. I admire that."

Chloe was standing directly above me with her bow pulled back and a single purple arrow pointed at my face. Her magenta eyes screamed for my blood.

"Unfortunately, your heroic journey ends here." She smirked.

"Get away from her!" Chung bellowed.

Chloe's eyes left me for a brief second. I called on Eun's power and took that chance to fight back," Aaaah!" I shot up from the ground, swinging my spear skyward.

Chloe instantly jumped away from my attack. With the elf now distracted Chung launched a series of missiles at her. Unfortunately Chloe dodged each incoming missile with ease, but it gave Raven and I enough time to pick ourselves up and put some distance between us and the enemy.

"I'm impressed," Chloe commented, dusting the unseen dust off her armour. "I underestimated your potential—"her eyes trailed on my new demonic features"—a human working alongside the spirit of a great demon. You must be Ara, the human my Master was so fond of."

A growl erupted from my throat, the others tensed at the mention of Scarlet. At that moment I wanted to slaughter the elf.

"It's a shame really," Chloe went on nonchalantly. "Karis really took a liking to you. It truly breaks her heart knowing you're on the opposing team."

"I could care less about her!" I snapped, face burning with rage. Yet, despite my thirst for revenge I couldn't help but feel heartbroken, mournful over the happy memories we can never make with each other.

"Pitiful, you could've had a good life siding with her." Chloe abruptly pointed her bow at Eve and fired.

"Oberon!" Eve snapped her fingers. With a flash of light the Nasod Queen was whisked away, in the arms of her faithful servant, from the arrow's path.

Raven cursed and rushed over to Chloe with a raised sword, but before his blade could sink into its target Chloe skillfully maneuvered behind him. Her free hand reached for the unsheathed knife attached to her shorts, I lunged toward her before she got the chance to hurt Raven.

Chloe scoffed at my interference and backflipped away from her target. Before any of us could land another hit she sheathed her knife and pulled back on her bow, three purple arrows materialized from her fingertips, and fired at us. The summoned arrows fanned out from their archer, each one bolting toward us with incredible speed.

"Tactical Field!" Chung hammered his cannon onto the stone ground, a translucent blue bubble encapsulated us in turn. Chloe's arrows drastically decreased in speed upon entering Chung's force field, giving just enough time to maneuver away from the attack. The sphere protecting us dissolved into sapphire particles of light once the arrows had passed safely by.

"Sonic Slash!" Raven rocketed toward the elf, his body encased in a blazing red aura.

Chloe pulled on her bow's string and leaped into the air," Aerial Bomber!" She shot a single purple arrow at Raven's direction.

"How dare you lay a hand on my precious servant!" Eve materialized an electrified orb in her palm and shot it toward Chloe's arrow. The two attacks collided, resulting in puff of gray smoke.

Raven leaped through the curtain of smog and toward the elf. Eve cheered as her servant managed to successfully land a hit on Chloe's abdomen. Raven, once back on the ground, shuffled back whilst his bloody target fell and remained down.

"Magnum Shot!" This time it was Chung's turn to attack. He fired a shining blue ball at Chloe, the attack erupted with a blinding light upon impact.

Once the light had faded all that was left was an immobile elf; however, we were not foolish enough to lower our guards, especially when we had an army of demons behind us. Everyone held their position, eyes pinned on our seemingly fallen prey. Her bow, now in pieces, laid merely inches away from her.

"I'll see if she's still alive." Raven volunteered.

"B-be careful." Eve cautioned.

Raven gingerly inched toward Chloe with shoulders tensed and sword held high. I held my breath, sweat flooded my forehead and trickled down the side of my cheeks. Just before Raven could properly exam the body, Chloe's leg locked behind Raven's knees and forced him down. With one swift move she unsheathed her knife and jammed into his chest.

"NO!" Eve shrieked.

Chloe pulled her crimson blade out of her limp target with ease. She grinned like a kid on Christmas morning and threw Raven aside. Eve muttered a combination of curses a Queen should never be heard saying.

Chloe wasn't in top notch shape. Her body was badly bruised and scratched, most likely due to Chung's direct hit, and blood continuously oozed from the open wound across her belly. Yet she still found the strength to stand up and face us.

"He was a strong man," Chloe sang. I narrowed my eyes on her, fingers itching to be soaked in the elf's blood. "You could still save him—"she broke into hysterical laughter—"who am I kidding? Unless you can quickly get medical help there's no way he can survive."

"I will kill you." Eve's body bursted with a pink aura.

Chloe's eyes widened with excitement," I'd like to see you try, sweetheart." She charged toward the Queen.

"Sonic Wave!" Oberon burst onto the bridge with a flash of light. The Nasod servant rushed to its target. Oberon slashed its sword at Chloe but the elf slid onto the ground and pounded her foot against the Nasod's ankle, knocking the servant down.

"Tsk, how annoying." Eve sneered as Chloe leaped up and continued forward.

"Ara, let's try to intercept her." Chung, who was now fully encased in a white aura and armour, suggested.

I bobbed my head," try to slow her down for me."

Without another exchange of words I sprinted to my prey. Chung readied his cannon behind me and fired, setting free a wave of flying blue missiles. Chloe was forced to slow her pursuit and dodge his attacks; however, she wasn't fast enough to dodge all of the missiles. A single blue flash connected to her stomach, the elf grunted and staggered back. I took that chance to attack.

"Rock Smash!" I tackled into Chloe with all my might. Chloe stumbled into the wall of the bridge. One more blow should knock her off.

"Tiger Claw!" I lunged at her once more, but she ducked just as I was about to hit her. Pain sprouted from my hand as my attack plunged onto the stone surface of the wall.

"Too slow!" Just as those words left her mouth my leg erupted with burning pain.

I didn't realize what had happened until she tackled me down. Chloe, eyes now hardened with the colours of war, raised her knife over my head and plunged it down. Both my hands shot up at the last minute and grasped onto her crimson stained blade.

"You're stubborn," Chloe continued to press down on the knife. I held my breath as the knife inched closer to my face.

"I-I won't let you kill me." I grunted, bloodied hands tightening around the weapon. "It's too early for me to die."

"You brought this upon yourself, Ara." Chloe forced the blade an inch closer. "You should've never sided with humans. Karis would've gladly-"

Chung tackled her off of me before she could finish. I sighed, dropping my trembling arms to my side. While Chung and Chloe engaged in battle I remained planted on the ground, staring blankly into the endless azure above. My heart was still racing in my chest, as if reminding me we were still alive.

 _Get up, Ara. We are still in battle. This is no time for us to rest._

I groaned at Eun's suggestion, but I knew it was right. Chloe could easily kill me if I remain in this position. I forced myself up to a sitting position and examined the battlefield. Eve and Chung were both fighting the elf while the rest of Chloe's army was still focused on the fight with the Velder army. It would only be a matter of time before they realize their captain is in trouble.

"D-damn," I looked down at my crimson hands. Blood poured from my palms like an endless river. "I'm a mess."

 _That elf injured us quite severely._ Eun drew my attention to the gushing wound on my leg. _If the pain is too much for you to handle allow me to take over. I will fight on your behalf._

"Chung!" Eve screamed. I snapped my head up just in time to see Chung totter and drop on his back. I hastily crawled to his side, suddenly oblivious to my bloody hands and burning legs.

"You're lucky I can't use my bow, pretty boy." Chloe spun her knife effortlessly with one hand.

"I will not allow you to lay another hand on him!" Eve shot forward in an attempt to slap her. Chloe leapt to safety before Eve to could a direct hit.

"C-Chung," I cried once I finally reached him.

"She's faster than I thought." He groaned, sitting himself up.

It pained me to see his bruised face. A single red line marked his left cheek, I hoped that the cut wasn't deep enough to scar him. "A-are you hurt?" I asked, eyes burning.

"My ankle's killing me but other than that I'm fine.." He flashed me a reassuring smile. "I...uh...can't say the same thing about my pride."

"Aah!" I snapped my head back to the battle once more. Eve was quivering on the floor, the jewel on her forehead now cracked.

No, Eve can't die too. I'll never forgive myself if I lose two people in this fight.

"I don't understand why my Master see you all as a threat." Chloe mused, trudging to the fallen Queen.

Eve's black and white drones hovered protectively in front of their ruler. Though the drones couldn't express any emotions, I had no doubt they were weak with fear. I attempted to help myself up but Chloe snapped her head at me before I could make an extra move.

"Your group is stronger than most humans, but compared me and my Master you are weak." Chloe tilted her head up in pride. "You will never beat us, especially when we'll soon have all the Shards in our hands."

A gasp sounded from Eve and Chung. My blood turned cold at her words but I wasn't as shocked as my friends. I already had suspicions of Scarlet's plan.

"Oops, I probably shouldn't have told you guys that." Chloe giggled, positioning her knife's blade downwards. "It doesn't matter either way. You'll all be dead anyways. I think I'll kill the demon girl first."

With a grin stretching from ear to ear, Chloe approached me and Chung. I found myself instinctively backing up from her. The fire that once pushed me to fight this corrupt elf dimmed in fear. Chung positioned himself protectively in front of me.

"You idiots!" A familiar voice pierced through the air.

Like a rocket Elesis burst from within the demon army to her former friend. Several knights and mages, including Speka and Elsword, followed behind her.

Elesis' eyes flashed with pain upon seeing Chloe but her legs continued to accelerate for onwards, not caring if they were about to face an old friend. The Red Knight grit her teeth and swung her sword, barely missing her corrupt friend. Chloe cursed and teetered back from Elesis.

"Elesis, R-Raven has been stabbed!" Chung informed her at once. Speka's eyes widened at the news while Elsword's face drained of colour.

"I need everyone trained in healing magic to go treat the man with black hair!" Elesis ordered. Several mages separated from the group and hurried forward to find Raven. "Everyone else, keep the demon army busy. I don't want those demons interfering with this fight."

The remaining knights and mages abided her order without question. Elsword, however, refused to give in so easily.

"But, Sis-"

"This is an order, Els'." She snapped. "I don't want any extra enemies in this fight, understood?"

Elsword opened his mouth to protest but didn't utter another word. Frowning he turned himself around to aid the other knights.

"Elesis," Chloe's voice turned to stone. "I see you're still as controlling as before."

"I am their leader," Elesis pointed her sword at Chloe with hesitation. "It's my job to guide them."

Chloe spat on the ground," guide? Stop kidding yourself, Elesis, you've always been the controlling type. Everything has to be your way, period."

"D-do they know each other?" Chung asked in a soft whisper.

I swallowed," I-I don't know." I didn't want to openly announce Elesis' connection with the enemy, only she should have the right to reveal that information.

"We don't have to fight, Chloe." Elesis took a tentative step forward. "You can still turn your life around. I'm always willing to forgive you."

Chloe scrunched her nose in disgust," you know what I hate about humans?"

Elesis' eyes dampened at her friend's response.

"I hate the lies you humans tell." Chloe spat. "You know why I could never advance as a knight? Why I was stuck in poverty? It's because I'm an elf, not because I wasn't strong enough or too lazy to work, but because of my blood."

"Chloe, you know that's not true! We've had plenty of elves advance-"

"It was a different world when we were first knights." Chloe went on tightly. She raised her knife," I should've known better than to trust humans, especially a human like _you_."

"C-Chloe, I never abandoned you." Elesis pressed on desperately. I could read her plan like a book. She was trying to abandon this fight; she'd do anything to spare her friend. "I-I offered you food, shelter and a place to sleep. Y-you never took my offer."

Chloe sneered," your _free offer_? Elesis, it wasn't uncommon back then for people to trick us elves. I knew better than to take up your _charity,_ I was scared that you'd use your _hospitality_ against me one day. I'm glad I didn't take your offer; who knows what you would've done to me when you decided I wasn't worth your time?" Chloe took a daring step forward.

Elesis positioned herself to attack but her eyes screamed, begged for Chloe to drop the knife," Chloe, I'm sorry. I-I got caught up with training, I neglected you and I turned you into _this._ I'm a horrible friend, but p-please just drop the knife and let me help you start over."

Chloe glared at Elesis," I hate being lied to, human."

With one swift move Chloe lunged to Elesis and swiped her knife. Elesis was quick to react and blocked the knife with her sword.

"Sonic Blade!" Elesis attacked before Chloe could attempt to kick her down. Elesis' attack successfully hit the elf, deepening the wound Raven inflicted on her earlier..

Chloe stumbled back, blood dripped from the corners of her mouth," still as violent as ever." She wheezed, tightening her grip on the knife.

Elesis, with tears rolling down her eyes, charged to the injured elf," Divine Blade!" She swung her down, amber blades manifested from mid air and plunged to their target.

Chloe bounced to the side, barely avoiding the magical swords, and advanced toward Elesis," Dark Drilling Kick!" Using her momentum Chloe sprung up into the air, spinning horizontally and colliding her feet into Elesis' head. Chloe landed clumsily onto her feet while Elesis was stoll stuck in a daze. With her opponent still shocked from the hit Chloe lunged and sliced her blade across Elesis' neck.

Elesis wobbled back, eyes widened and face empty of colour.

I whimpered at the blood trickling out from Elesis' injury. Chung's shoulder tensed up to his ears.

"I'm fighting to take your life, _friend._ " Chloe coughed, still clearly affected from Elesis' attack.

"C-Chloe," Elesis' wheezed, hands now shivering from shock. "P-please forgive me for failing you."

A blazing rose-coloured aura clamped around the Red Knight. Elesis wiped her tears dry with the back of her hand and charged," Sword of Victory!" Elesis' sword sprouted in size, its blade now burning with amber light.

"So you're finally getting serious." Chloe muttered.

 _Araaah!_ Elesis swung her blade horizontally at her friend. Chloe attempted to spring away from the attack but the elf proved to be too slow. The sword grinded its fang into Chloe's leg.

Chloe howled in pain as she fell back, her hand still tightly holding onto her weapon.

"Y-you left me with no choice," Elesis could only manage a whisper. She swung her blade to the side, the amber light encasing her sword dissipated into red particles, the sword deflated back to its original.

"I-I've always envied your strength." Chloe chuckled weakly, barely keeping herself up in a sitting position.. "You win, Elesis. Finish the job already." She bowed her head.

Elesis' lower lip quivered," I-I can't kill you." Tears filled those regretful ruby eyes. "I-I want you to turn your life around. Y-you still have a chance at redemption, Chloe, a-and I'll help you find it."

"Hmph! Those are weak words, Elesis." Chloe chuckled dryly. "You are pitiful." Her voice softened.

"I know," Elesis giggled lightheartedly. "I'm just a big softy, aren't I?"

"You're such a loser," Chloe added softly. Elesis was beaming at her response.

"A-and you're any better? Yeah right." Elesis' chest bounced with laughter. She wiped her eyes dry once again.

I'll admit, I was smiling at the reunion. Seeing Elesis spare Chloe sparked something inside me, a hope to give my brother the same option. Maybe I didn't have to kill Aren when the time comes. Maybe I can save him; help him return from his corruption.

But Elesis couldn't savour her victory for long. Just as we had all thought this story would come to a happy ending, Chloe's eyelids dropped and she fell onto her back.. Elesis' expression dropped like a rock," Chloe!" She hurried toward Chloe, dropped to her knees and cradled her friend in her arms.

"How embarrassing," Chloe coughed, blood trickled down from the corners of her mouth. "Being held by an enemy."

"N-no," Elesis discarded her sword and pulled Chloe into a hug, her shoulders trembling. "Y-you stupid elf! How can you s-start a new life if you die on me now?!" Chloe weakly wrapped her arms around Elesis in turn.

"El," Chloe whispered weakly into her ear, I strained my ears to pick up on her soft voice. "You...should've killed me when you had the chance."

With the last of her strength Chloe plunged her knife into Elesis' back. The Red Knight tensed at the hit, speechless from her betrayal and injury.

The hope that was just ignited vanished in a split second. I was sick to my stomach.

"C-Chloe…?" Elesis' grip on Chloe weakened.

"If I-I'm going Hell," Chloe slumped onto Elesis' shoulder. "I'm dragging you down with me, y-you liar."


	15. What Must Be Done

**I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday so far! I've gotten ten times more lazy since winter break started which is a bit of a problem for my writing. Nonetheless I have this week's chapters all set and ready!**

 **Before you delve into the story I wanna inform you on the upcoming uploading schedule. January is gonna be crazy, for a lack of a better term. Diplomas and field tests will be taking over almost all of my time so chances are there won't be any new chapters during January. The most you'll get is probably an update to an older chapter from Yin Yang. I'm gonna try to upload two more chapters on the first saturday of the new year, but please don't be upset if that doesn't happen.**

 **I hope you all enjoy the last few months of December! I'll see everyone in the new year!**

"I should not have let him approach the enemy alone," Eve cried, burying her face in her hands.

The demon army fell out of order upon hearing the death of their leader. Our troops used the foe's hysteria to push the demons back and off into the sea below. Many of our injured, including me, Chung and Eve, were rushed back to the castle while those with more serious injuries were treated on the spot.

Velder alchemists treated each patient with inhuman speed (Eve repaired herself with the help of her servants and drones). It didn't take long for me to be patched up and sent out of the infirmary with a healing potion in hand. I met up with Chung, Eve and Amos shortly after being released. We spent the remainder of our morning in the Mess Hall comforting Eve, many other knights mirrored our actions with their friends.

"Raven will be okay," Amos reassured her, his shaking arms wrapped around the Queen. "He's really strong."

"I-I know," Eve sobbed. "B-but he would not have been hurt if I was there to protect him from Chloe's attack. How can I call myself a Queen when I cannot even protect my most precious knight?"

"Don't say that, Eve," I placed my bandaged hand on her shoulder.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened." Chung added gently.

"Y-you do not understand," she nearly screamed. "I-I will forever drown in guilt if he dies. W-we are supposed to be a team. I should have been beside him, protecting him-" Eve broke into heavy sobs before she could finished her thought.

"I-I know it's tough." I found my eyes burning at her familiar words. "N-no matter what happens you'll always have our support. D-don't you dare forget that."

Even if you don't want me around you'll still have Amos and Chung to fall back on.

"She's right," Chung gently patted her on the back. "We're here for you."

"I-I wish I was stronger," Eve whimpered, shoulders now trembling. "I-I wish I could have protected him."

"Eve-" Amos finally broke down. After witnessing Eve break down into uncontrollable tears the young Ponggo finally surrendered to his sorrow and fear.

That's where we sat for the next few minutes. Neither Chung nor I dared to speak another word. The cries of a devastated Queen and terrified child drowned out the silence, their despair churning with those nameless allies around us.

"Damn, I can't believe how many people we lost today." An unknown voice filtered into the heavy air of the Hall.

"Yeah, I'm glad we managed to save some knights." Another said with a sigh. "I'm glad the seriously injured knights were treated on the scene. They probably wouldn't have survived the trip here otherwise."

"Still, it was still a challenge treating them. I'm glad most of the knights survived."

Eve snapped her head up, her face still damp with salty tears," d-do you think they have already treated Raven's injuries?"

"There's only one way to find out," Chung gestured his head toward the Hall's opened doors.

Eve's hands closed into fists," r-right."

We shuffled out of our seats and proceeded down the hall. Cries of devastation and joy echoed through the castle's stone corridors. The closer we inched to our target the faster my heart bounced. Would we be given the news of Raven's miraculous survival; or would we be hammered with the death of our friend? I could only hope we'd be presented with the first scenario, but I now realize life isn't always fair.

Eve sucked in a sharp breath as the infirmary doors came into sight, Speka was posted in front of the door with a nameless mage. A clutter knights were gathered by the closed doors, whispering, crying and praying for their friends inside.

"It's gonna be okay, Eve." Amos whispered, taking hold of her fist. "H-he's going to be okay."

We can't be sure, I wanted to say. Instead I bit my tongue and forced those harsh words down my throat.

Eve allowed her hand to relax," Amos, you must understand that this world is harsh. It is not afraid to take people away, good or bad." She wrapped her fingers around his tiny hand. "I-I apologize if anything bad happens to Raven. I know you care for him deeply."

Amos bit his lower lip and bowed his head, dark eyes deflated of hope.

I wish Eve wasn't so blunt to Amos about this.

 _What she did was necessary._ Eun pointed out. _It is best to teach the child the realities of this world rather than let his hopes blind him._

"Come, let us see him." Eve pressed onward. I held my breath and followed shortly behind her.

"Speka," Eve addressed the mage tightly.

"I'm assuming you're here for Raven?" Speka replied blankly. Her eyes locked onto me, disgust flashing on her face.

"Y-yes," Eve's voice trembled once more. "I-is he here?"

"Let me go check," Speka pried her gaze from me and disappeared into the busy infirmary.

We remained planted on the spot. Eve pulled Amos, who has begun sobbing once more, into a tight hug. Chung and I absentmindedly shifted closer together, both of us yearning for comfort during the seemingly endless wait.

The world seemingly froze as the door opened once again. Speka stepped out from behind and gestured us inside," he just regained consciousness, but don't overstay your welcome. He needs tons of rest."

"I knew it!" Amos beamed, prying himself free from Eve's arms. "See? I told you he'll be okay, Eve."

"Y-yeah," Eve's shoulders relaxed, a wavering smile stretched on her lips. "L-let us enter inside."

"He's the last bed at the end of the room." Speka informed us.

Eve briefly thanked Speka for the information before proceeding inside, I reluctantly mirrored her actions. The infirmary was tainted with the smell of iron and disinfectants. Alchemists and mages scurried up and down the rows of beds, nearly all of which was veiled by an aqua-green curtain.

Eve held her head up high and proceeded down the room. Chung and I meekly followed behind. On occasion I would see a bed free of its curtains, most of which held an unconscious patient.

"Sis, are you sure you're alright?" Elsword's voice sounded ahead.

"Of course I am," Elesis answered in an instant. "A tiny knife wound can't kill me."

I'm glad Elesis survived the attack as well.

"Take it easy," Lento warned sternly. "You may be strong but you're not invincible."

"Yes, mother," Elesis replied jokingly.

We passed by Elesis' bed, I couldn't help but glance over at them. Elesis was sat up in her bed, a massive smile stretched on her still gaunt face. Just like many of the other patients she was hooked onto various machines. Lento and Elsword stood on her bedside, Elsword was obviously closest to her.

I pointed my eyes forward once we had passed them. It didn't take us long to reach Raven's bed. He was sat upright in his bed, eyes barely opened.

"Raven!" Amos nearly sprinted to him and bounced onto the hospital bed.

"Amos, take it easy," Eve chided. "He is still weak. Please be careful with him."

"I know," Amos gingerly wrapped his arms around Raven. His childish grin returned to his face once more.

"Hey, there," Raven weakly returned the embrace. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did," he answered. "Eve missed you too. She was crying like a baby over you."

"I-I was not," Eve patted her bangs over her forehead. "I was o-only fearing for your well-being. Amos is exaggerating."

"Liar," Amos stuck his tongue out at her.

Raven chuckled lightly," you guys are too kind."

"How are you doing?" I piped in, positioning myself at the end of his bed.

"Better," he answered with a smile. "Echo and some other mages mended my wounds really well."

"You still in pain?" Chung added, rooting himself beside me.

Raven shook his head," Allegro whipped up some crazy potion to help numb the pain, but now I feel like I haven't slept for weeks."

"I apologize for keeping you up." Eve furrowed her brows. "I should have known better than to disturb you during your recovery."

"Don't worry about it," Raven said as he ruffled Amos' head. "When Speka told me you were visiting I just had to get up. I needed to know you guys were all okay."

Did you mean all of us? While a part of me wants to truly believed he was also worried about me another refused to accept his words. Forgiveness wouldn't be that easy to obtain, right?

"So, what did I miss when I was out?" Raven asked.

Everyone who witnessed the final moments of the fight shifted uncomfortably. Raven darted his eyes between us.

"Well…" I turned to Eve. It would mean nothing if I rambled on about Scarlet's plan of getting all the El Shards, Raven had to hear it from the person he trusted the most.

Eve nodded curtly and began to retell the final events of the fight while Chung and I kept an eye out for incoming intruders. The last thing we needed was an outsider hearing about our conversation about the El Shards.

"So that's how it is," Raven breathed once Eve finished; Amos was still wrapped in his arms. "Eve, what are you gonna do then?"

"I-I do not know," she bowed her head. Raven's eyes widened once noticing the fractured orb on her forehead. "I am conflicted on what I should do."

"Take your time," he forced on a smile. "Amos and I will support you no matter what you choose to do."

"Yeah!" Amos exclaimed. Eve grinned warmly at their answer.

"And what about you, Chung?" Raven added calmly.

"I'm gonna help Ara find the last few Shards." He answered without a thread of hesitation. I was smiling like a fool upon hearing his answer. "This war will only get worse for us if those Shards fall into the wrong hands."

Raven bobbed his head understandingly," and what about those letters? Do you trust them?"

Chung shrugged," I'm still skeptical, but after what happened today I think I'm more open minded about them."

Raven's jaw dropped, evidently surprised with Chung's answer.

"We should discuss this matter another time." Eve suggested, she waved Amos over to her. "You should rest for now."

"Awe man, we have to leave already?" Amos pouted. "But I wanna stay longer."

"We can visit him tomorrow morning." Eve's comment successfully pried the Ponggo out of Raven's grip.

"Get well soon, Raven." Amos said as he tumbled off of the bed.

"Thanks, kiddo." Raven ruffled Amos' fur one last time. We bade Raven goodbye and began our way out.

We passed by Elesis' bed once more, but this time the scenery had completely changed. Elsword was absent from her bedside, the only one to accompany her was Lento. The radiating smile that once filled Elesis' sickly face was now replaced with a deep frown. Once I was sure we were out of Elesis' line of view I slowed down my pace, Chung took a quick notice of my actions and alerted Eve.

"You can't hide it from him forever," Lento told Elesis solemnly. "He's gotta know at one point."

"I-I know," Elesis' choked on her words. "I-it's just too hard for me to face the truth; how can you expect _him_ to?"

"Elesis, he's not a kid anymore." Lento pressed on.

"But he's not emotionally stable right now either." She snapped. "I-I don't want him to get hurt again."

"I know," Lento softened his tone of voice. "We can worry about Elsword later, right now I want to make sure you're holding up okay."

"I'm fine, Len-"

"This isn't the first time I've talked to you, Elesis," Lento cut her off sharply. "Quit lying and tell me the truth. Better to let it out now than later."

A doctor in the room called for a nurse's name, their voice riddled with worry. Chung mutely motioned me to leave but I refused to move any further. I _had_ to know what was wrong with Elesis.

"I-it's not fair," Elesis whimpered weakly. "I-I just wanted to help my friend. I-I wanted her to have a-a good life."

"I understand, but sometimes people don't want our help."

"Dammit!" She screamed. "Why did you have to be so stubborn, Chloe?! Why didn't you just forgive me and accept my help; can't you see I really care about you?!"

A lump clogged the back of my throat. I couldn't help but think of Aren and (as much as I despised her) Scarlet. Would those two be willing to turn their life around and let me help them? Or would I be forced to kill them with my own hands? I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of killing my own brother.

"N-now I can't help anyone. I'm completely useless." Elesis choked up with tears.

"Elesis, don't say that." Lento replied in an instant.

"You know it's true!" She cried, voice rippled in despair. "How can I help anyone when I can't even use my damn legs?"

The weight of her words hit me like a brick. Although she escaped the grasp of Death a price was paid in return, her ability to walk. I couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like without functioning legs, the helplessness you'd always be shrouded in.

"C'mon," Chung urged, pressing his hand on my back. "We should leave."

I didn't argue this time. We proceeded through the remainder of the room, shoulders heavy from the news we'd just heard. The infirmary door creaked open as we proceeded out. Speka didn't give us a second glance as the door clicked shut behind us.

"It's about time you showed your face!" I was forcefully shoved onto the ground before I could fully process the situation.

"Hey, calm down!" Chung stood in between me and Elsword. Several heads turned our way (including Speka), some people cursed at our loud disturbance while others observed in silence.

"She's the reason Sis is in there!" Elsword attempted to sidestep around Chung, but Chung refused to let him near me. "What's your problem, man? Why are you defending her?"

Eve and Amos hurriedly rushed to my side," are you okay?" Eve asked, crouching next to me.

"Y-yeah," I answered, helping myself up.

"Can you guys take this somewhere else?" Speka forced herself in between Chung and Elsword. "No one here needs to listen to your bickering."

"Chung, I don't get it." Elsword went on, ignoring Speka completely. "I thought we all agreed not to help a traitor. Why are you standing up to her now?"

"It doesn't matter what my reason is." Chung shot back, hands closed into tight balls. "You're trying to hurt her and I'm here to prevent that."

"I never knew you liked being with liars." Elsword sneered.

 _Perhaps we can reason with Elsword and Speka, perhaps convince them to aid us in our quest. They are strong knights after all, and we could use all the help we can get with this mission._ Eun spoke calmly over the verbal fight between Elsword and Chung.

'Convince Speka and Elsword to help me?' I bit on the inside of my cheeks to force down the snicker. 'That's impossible, Eun. I know they hate me.'

 _So did Raven, Eve and Chung._ Eun pointed out. _Yet you were able to win over their trust._

Yes, for some miraculous reason I managed to redeem myself to some of my friends; however, I know winning Speka and Elsword over will be my greatest challenge yet. Unlike the others, Elsword and Speka lost someone whom they cherished deeply—someone they loved. Aisha was cared for by everyone, don't get me wrong, but she held a unique place in her sister and lover's heart. The wound her death left behind is too deep for me or anyone else to mend.

 _Do you wish to leave your relationship with those two as it is?_ Eun challenged. _If things are to change then you must convince them into helping us again._

I curled my hands into balls. Of course I didn't want things to stay the way they are, but I can't force them to like me again. Shouldn't I keep out of their lives and let them decide whether or not I'm worth their trust? Wouldn't it be wrong, selfish of me to force myself back into their lives?

 _Ara, sometimes it is okay to be selfish._ Eun's words sparked something at the back of my mind, like a flicker of lightning in an inky storm. _If you continue to avoid them your chances of reconciliation will lessen greatly. You, the one who stabbed them in the back, must initiate the first talk._

"You've changed for the worse, man." Elsword took a step toward Chung, if it weren't Speka he would've punched Chung by now.

"Oh yeah?" Chung's voice tightened. "And you're any better?"

"Yeah," Elsword tilted his chin up. "I'm not weak minded like you. I don't fall for lies-"

"That's enough!" I bellowed. Chung snapped his mouth shut at my interference while Elsword spouted an arrangement of curses, Eve had to cover Amos' ears.

"Watch your language." Eve snapped.

"I'll watch my language when Ara gets a proper punishment for killing my girlfriend!" Elsword's answer erupted red on Eve's cheeks.

My head hammered with frustration. To be completely honest, I was sick and tired of Elsword labelling me as a traitor, thinking as if I don't regret my actions _each_ and _every_ day.

"Elsword," I rolled his name out tightly. "I'll tell you why Elesis ended up par—"I forcefully cleared my throat"—e-ended up injured."

"I already know why she was injured," He pressed toward me only to be stopped by Chung and Speka. "It's because you were stupid enough to waltz head-first into the demon army. You just _had_ to play the big hero, didn't you?"

I took a sharp breath in through my clenched teeth," there's more to the story." I corrected quietly. "If you calm down I'll tell you everything."

Chung snapped his head back at me, astonished. Even Speka seemed interested in the story, her dark purple eyes were now lit with interest.

"Ara, are you sure?" Eve whispered so quietly even I had trouble hearing her. "Elsword is not in a healthy state of mind. He could sabotage our plans."

Elsword may be unstable but I needed his aid. He might even benefit from us, the team may be able to give him comfort he needs to recover.

"I'll take full responsibility if he turns on us." I mumbled back to Eve.

"So the truth comes out, eh?" Elsword chuckled dryly. "I wonder how much of it is a lie."

"Elsword," Chung began but I promptly cut him off.

"I promise to tell you everything, but we can't talk here." I dropped the volume of my voice. "We'll talk somewhere else. Speka, you should come with us too."

* * *

We decided to huddle around a secluded table in the Mess Hall. I proceeded to reveal the existence of the letters to the remaining members, Eve and Chung sat opposite of me, both were on the lookout for passing Captains. I kept my voice soft and hushed, fearing someone would pick up on our conversation and report us.

"You're crazy," Elsword said the moment I finished speaking. "And everyone else is crazy for believing you."

"I-I know this sounds insane." I answered, my voice trembling from anger. "But you can't just ride those predictions off as coincidences."

"I've been too trusting in the past," Elsword tightened his jaw. "That costed me the life of someone I cared about."

"But if you ignore this Elesis could be put in further danger." I blurted. Everyone tensed at my answer but no one dared to jump in to defend or support me. This was a fight between me and Elsword alone.

"Don't bring my sister into this," Elsword warned, his expression churning into bloodlust.

I blinked," I-I'm sorry if I offended you by mentioning Elesis, but think about it. If those demons get anymore El Shards this war will only turn ugly for us. Do you want to see Elesis throw herself into another fight; one that she could never win?"

Elsword dropped his eyes, beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. Speka shifted in her seat uncomfortably, she's been unusually quiet during this whole discussion. It makes me wonder what she thinks about this.

"I still don't trust you." Elsword concluded. I wanted to rip my hair out at his answer. "How do I know you're not just manipulating us? How can we know for sure this isn't some trick you've made for us?"

I growled," even _if_ I was working with Scarlet, why would I waste my time trying to trick you guys? _If_ I was loyal to the demons I would be working to gain the trust of the Captains, not some nameless knights."

"That's an awfully specific plan," Elsword scoffed.

This time it was my turn to swear.

"Speka," Chung thankfully piped in. "What do you think?"

"M-me?" She seemed to wither into her seat. "I-I…"

The once hateful mage was now replaced with a weak, lost girl. She reminded me of a lost child, wandering blindly through a seemingly endless store.

"You don't have to believe me." I decided to say instead. "The mission can go on without you. If we get busted we won't drag you into our mess."

"Eve, Chung," Elsword darted his eyes helplessly between the two. "You two don't actually believe her, right?"

"We still have our doubts on certain aspects of her story," Eve replied, indirectly referring to the letters. "However, I now believe this war will only grow worse if the enemies obtain more Shards."

"We also heard the enemy talk about stealing the Shards." Chung added. "That's not something we can ignore."

Elsword slammed his hand on the table," unbelievable." He snorted.

It's a lost cause. I knew Elsword and Speka would never believe me, why did I bother trying?

"Thanks for hearing us out anyways. We'll always be open to accepting your help if you change your mind." Chung cursed under his breath but I ignored him and went on. "We'd appreciate it if-"

"And what have we got here?" A cold voice sliced through my ears.

I turned my head toward the voice, my muscles melted into puddles upon seeing Vanessa's approach. Her clothes, once white as the clouds above, were spotted with red and cut in several places. Her gaze darted between us like a hungry lioness, eyes empty of mercy.

"Speaking in private?" Vanessa stopped just inches away from us, foot tapping rhythmically on the stone floor. "I wonder if this is about the El Shard. You all should know it's forbidden for your group to speak of such matters."

Chung and Eve shifted closer to me, a silent reassurance of their loyalty.

"N-no," I squeaked. "W-we are comforting each other. A-as you know Raven and Elesis was severely hurt during the fight."

"The fight," Vanessa pursed her lips. "If I recall it was you, those Nasods and Chung who took action without our permission."

I darted my eyes away from the Captain. The room somehow felt smaller, the air heavier than ever before.

"How can you prove to me that you were all comforting each other without a trustworthy alibi?" Vanessa pressed on. "I also find it strange how Elsword went from assaulting Ara to receiving her comforts."

The knights witnessing our fight must have reported him to Elsword. I should've stepped in earlier, maybe then we wouldn't have been reported.

"Enough with the lies," Vanessa raised her voice. "I want answers now."

My palms were clammy and my legs deprived of strength, even with the morning sunlight warming my back the room still felt ice cold.

If I stayed quiet Vanessa will only increase the severity of my punishment, but if I confess she might kick me out of the castle or worse.

Stop being a coward! I chided myself. You dragged your team into this, now you have to pay. It's the least you can do for them.

"I-I-"

"I told them to attack," Eve cut me off promptly. "I saw your plan of attack as weak and futile. The only way to win was to defeat the mastermind behind the demon army. Of course humans could never think of such a thing."

Vanessa flared her nostrils.

'Eve-" Before I could utter another word Eve rose her voice, overpowering my own.

"I called my former team here to teach them the ways of Nasod battle tactics." Eve sounded each word with confidence, not a thread of doubt shrouded her voice. "Though they are weak minded and intellectually challenged, as is the rest of the human race, I trust they will listen to me. After all, they have seen my kingdom and authority in person. They know better than to defy me."

Even if I spoke up now the damage was already done. Vanessa was fuming, to say the least, from Eve's insults. Her face was almost as red as Elsword's hair, teeth clenched so tightly together I feared they'd shatter.

"You," she pointed her slender finger at the innocent Queen. "Come with me."

"Eve," Amos clung tightly onto the Nasod's arm. "P-please d-don't go with the scary lady."

"You can't bring the brat along!" Vanessa's anger flared at Amos' comment. The Ponggo shrieked at her sudden outburst.

"Do not fear, Amos. A Queen will not tremble from a mere peasant." Eve pried herself free of Amos and shifted out of her seat. "Stay with Ara and Chung until I return."

Eve, with her head held high, followed Vanessa out of the Hall. Wandering eyes followed her out, but that did not waver her pride. She continued down the room, acting as if everyone around her was a loyal subject struck with awe.

"This is ridiculous." Elsword grumbled once Eve was out of sight. "Anyone who's willing to support a traitor is pathetic."

No one bothered to stop him when he rocketed up from his seat and stormed out.

"I-I'm sorry, Amos." My lower lip quivered. "It's my fault again. Eve shouldn't be the one that's punished, it should be me."

"Don't say that," Chung wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "She took the blame for you because she wanted to. Plus, I think we can safely say she's willing to help us now."

Even the idea of having more aid during the Shard hunt wasn't enough to lift the unseen wight compressing my chest. Just as I've finally freed myself from my emotional restraints I'm thrown back into my prison, this time bound with heavier chains.

"A-Ara," Amos tugged at my sleeve. "W-will Eve be okay?"

"Of course she will," Chung piped in cheerfully. "Eve won't let that scary knight hurt her. She's much stronger than that."

"R-right," Amos foolishly fell for Chung's lie. "Eve's a Queen. She can handle a super scary lady."

 _At least we managed to keep the child from panicking._ Eun sighed.

"Thanks." I found myself leaning onto Chung.

"Don't worry 'bout it." He whispered softly back, his arm around me tightening. "I've got your back."

Someone at our table began to sob, and for once it wasn't me. Though my eyes burned with tears I couldn't bring myself to cry anymore, I've already let out my sorrow that day with Eun.

"W-what do I do?" Speka whimpered, her voice soft and gentle as a crow's feather. "W-what would Aisha do?"

Speka broke into uncontrollable sobs at the mention of her sister. The devastation once hidden under her vengeful eyes poured into the air, filling the Hall with her unresolved agony.


	16. Turning Point

"No offence, man, but you look horrible." That was the first thing Chung said when Raven plopped himself across the table.

"Good morning to you too." Raven greeted sluggishly. Amos mutely propped his breakfast beside Raven's and hopped into his seat.

It's been a couple weeks since the Hope Bridge invasion. During this time Eve did everything she could to avoid us. She used Amos to assure us she was only keeping her distance to keep us away from the captains' radar (she's been put under heavy surveillance after she bit the bullet for me) thus we could continue to plan for the revived mission. Chung and I both agreed our next destination would be Hamel as it was the most recent place to be attacked. We informed Raven of our plan the moment he was discharged. The only downside was the absence of letters. Up until now those mysterious messages have been pointing me down the right path. I almost feel lost without their aid.

Elsword and Speka made an extra effort to avoid us during this time period, but we couldn't afford to waste any more time to persuade them into helping us. We needed to take action fast.

"Give him a break, Chung." I slapped him on the arm. "You'd be tired too if you had to spend hours in the library."

"I had fun reading books," Amos chirped. I wouldn't be surprised if Amos spent his time reading about alchemy while Raven was left alone to do all the work.

"I didn't," Raven groaned, rubbing his baggy eyes.

"So did you find anything?" I asked in a more serious tone.

Raven darted his eyes around the Mess Hall. Once sure we were safe from unwanted ears he answered," I found a few books depicting the castle's old layout, but I can't find anything that would give us a clue of the Shard's whereabouts."

Chung suspected the Shard was hidden somewhere in the castle, perhaps in an old, unused room. It was unlikely for a Captain to carry it around, especially when they must always be prepared to run out into the battlefield—the risk of losing it would be too high. Raven proposed to research the castle's old layouts in hopes of finding a hidden space where the El Shard could held. He'd pretend to find a nighttime story for Amos to draw away any suspicions.

"We could leave without the El Shard." Chung proposed.

"It's too big of a risk." Raven answered before I got a chance to. "It'll only be a matter of time before the demons launch a massive attack on the castle for the Shard."

"I'd rather let the demons know we have the Shard than keeping it here." I added.

"Geez, it was only a suggestion." Chung muttered, absentmindedly stirring his small serving of apple slices.

"I'll keep researching." Raven groaned. "But you guys will have to take care of other factors like our escape route, food and supplies."

"I know how to navigate through the ocean well so heading to Hamel won't be a problem." Chung stated proudly.

"Except we don't have a boat." I pointed out bluntly.

"I-I'm sure Velder has a few boats lying here and there." Chung chuckled with unease. "R-right?"

"Even if we manage to get ourselves a boat, how will we get food? There's no way we're catching fish and eating them raw." Raven continued to list out our ever-growing problems.

"I don't see a problem with that." Chung whispered under his breath.

"We could steal food from the kitchen." I suggested reluctantly.

"But stealing is bad." Amos scowled; as if I wasn't feeling guilty enough with that idea.

Raven rubbed his chin," I wouldn't normally appeal to thievery, but it's not like we have a lot of options."

"I thought we were the good guys." Amos' reply made Raven shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Amos, we don't have a choice. Unless you want to continuously eat raw fish, that is if we can even catch enough for everyone to eat, then be my guest." Amos snapped his mouth shut at Raven's reply and pouted. Fortunately he didn't try to comment any further.

"So we're gonna steal a bunch of food along with a boat." Chung summarized. "I'll be damned if we manage to pull that off."

I pressed my fingers against my temples. I never would've thought so many factors played into the revival of or mission. I was so wrapped up with the idea of getting the next Shard I failed to realize all the important elements to our survival.

"Wow, the whole team is here!" A familiar voice chimed into our ears.

I knew it was Elesis' voice, but I didn't want to look up. I was afraid I'd break down into tears if I saw her, knowing she'd never be able to get up and walk.

"Elesis," Chung greeted in a forced cheerful tone.

I bit the inside of my cheeks and reluctantly turned my eyes toward her. She was, as expected, sitting in an old wheelchair with Lento pushing her toward us. Her brother walked beside her, his empty red eyes plagued with dark bags.

"It's so nice to see everyone together again." Elesis smiled; an empty smile.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked, genuinely clueless about Elesis' condition.

"I'm feeling great," Elesis beamed as Lento picked her up and sat her beside me. "I still feel a bit weak s-so that's why I'm still using this wheelchair."

"That's good to hear." Raven grinned.

"Hey, Elsword, stop being such a loser and join your friends at the table." Elesis ordered her brother.

"O-okay." Elsword grinned tightly back at his sister and sat next to her.

I exchanged glances with Chung. Even without an exchange of words we both understood what the other was thinking. Elsword knows.

"Do you want something to eat?" Asked Lento.

"Of course, I'm starving!" She rubbed her belly. "Get my little bro' something too."

"I can get it myself, Sis." Elsword muttered, his words dead like his eyes, as Lento left to get their meals. "You don't have to trouble Lento."

"You'd just ditch this table if I let you go by yourself." Elesis wrapped her arm around Elsword. "I'd be a bad sister if I willingly let my brother run away from his friends."

"I-I wouldn't run away." Some emotion reignited in his voice.

"Of course you would," Elesis laughed forcefully. "You'd run away 'cause you're scared of seeing them after being such a jerk."

That's how the remainder of breakfast played out. Elesis continued to tease Elsword like there was no tomorrow, her efforts eventually sparked some life back into her brother's eyes. Chung, Amos and Raven smoothly integrated themselves their conversation, even Lento joined them, but I couldn't bring myself to act happy around Elesis. It felt wrong to pretend I was clueless about her condition, to act like everything was fine.

"Wow, time flies when you're having fun." Elesis said once her plate was empty of food.

Elsword's expression fell at Elesis' comment, even Chung and Raven grew more solemn at her leaving.

"I should get going. I gotta prepare for the day's work." She motioned Lento to help her into the wheelchair.

I wish she could stay longer. At least then Elsword wouldn't have to look and feel so sad.

"Elsword, you should talk with your friends some more before leaving for patrol or whatever your captain's got planned." Elesis added while Lento lifted her up from the bench and into her wheelchair. "I'll beat you up if I find out you left without saying any more to these guys."

"Fine," he huffed with annoyance. "Whatever keeps me from getting beat to death by my loving sister."

Elesis collided her fist into her brother's back before Lento wheeled her out. Elsword, instead of complaining about the punch, smiled at her. Elsword dropped his grin the instant his sister was out of sight. He cursed under his breath and buried his face in his hands. No one at the table made a peep. No one knew what to say to him.

Raven opened his mouth to speak up but Chung kicked his legs before he could manage a sound. Raven shot Chung a quizzical look but took the hint and kept himself quiet.

"I hate it when she acts like that." Elsword dropped his hands from his face, his eyes now damp with tears. I bit my lower lip. "She forces herself to be happy, she always does that."

"Elsword," Raven spoke up reluctantly. This time neither Chung nor I bothered to try and stop him. "Why do you say that?"

"My sister she's-" he choked up. I was about to reach out and comfort him but I decided against it. I wasn't the best person to be confiding him, at least not right now. "E-Elesis is...she's paralyzed from the waist down."

Raven didn't reply. I can't blame him; how can you respond after hearing that for the first time? Not even I, who knew about this news days ago, had anything to say to Elsword.

"Y'know, I accidentally walked in on her crying the other day." Elsword raked his hand through his hair. "She was crying to Lowe about her...friend. The elf you guys fought on the bridge."

Chloe. The elf she tried to save from a dangerous lifestyle. The friend who took her mobility away forever.

"It's weird," Elsword went on, forgetting he's consoling in the people he once claimed to despise. "Seeing someone, who's normally strong, bawl. Hell, she's the same person who was making cripple jokes when she first told me about her paralysis."

"Sorry, man." Chung said softly. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Whatever, there's nothing you can do to help her anyways." Elsword shrugged. "I wanna know something—"he turned his eyes on me"—those letters you told me 'bout before, did you get any more of them?"

"I-I...uh...no." I stammered, completely taken aback by his question. "I haven't gotten one in a long time actually."

"I see," he pinned his eyes down on the table again. "And you say they've been accurate? Y'know, with the warnings and such."

"Yes," I answered in a heartbeat.

"And you guys are going on this mission again be-"

"That's not why we're helping her resume the mission, if that's where you're trying to get." Chung piped in before Elsword could finish. Elsword showed no signs of aggravation at the interruption, Chung took that as a sign to go on. "We're doing this because we don't want the demons to collect the remaining Shards. The elf blurted their plan to us during the fight."

"The actions we took on Hope Bridge were idiotic. It is our fault that Elesis ended up this way." Raven added. "But if we hadn't charged in and confronted the elf we may not be alive right now, and we certainly wouldn't have confirmed the enemies' plans."

"What about the new search party?" Elsword pressed on angrily. "They could've handled the mission and letters responsibly. Why do you guys have to play the damn heroes all the time?"

"It's not like we want to be the damn heroes." The frustration I was so desperately trying to hold back began to seep out. "We're doing this because the person in charge of the new search party refuses to do anything. Chung and I heard it with our own ears."

"She's right." Chung quickly backed me up.

"We all heard the plan from the enemy elf, and we all know the devastation that the Shards can cause. The other knights don't. We don't have a choice, Elsword, we have to finish the job."

Elsword shook his head, chuckling humorlessly," you guys are crazy. Each and every one of you." He rubbed his eyes. "How did I end up with lunatics like you for friends?"

I flared my nose," yeah, we're crazy. So what? At least we're putting in the effort to stop this war." I growled. Chung rested his hand on my shoulder and whispered for me to give up, but I shrugged him off and pressed on. "We're doing this because we know the consequences if the demons get all the Shards. We're fighting for the friends we lost, and we're doing it with or without you."

Elsword looked as if he wanted to sock me in the face. A part of me wanted to bow and beg for his forgiveness at my rude response, but I refused to give in. It doesn't matter what he decides, I'm going to stop Scarlet from getting the last Shards either way.

"If Elesis wasn't paralyzed I would've reported you ages ago." Elsword scratched his head irritatingly, his face flushed from anger. "I'll help, but not because I wanna aid you. I just wanna give my sister a peaceful and happy future."

* * *

 _You are doing much better with training today, Ara._ Eun praised as I dissipated the energy from my spear.

I dropped to my knees, sweat drenching my body," I'm just in a good mood." I panted. "I didn't think Elsword would be willing to join us on the mission."

 _Neither did I, Child. I was very proud when you stood firm to your belief. If you had wavered in confidence I doubt Elsword would have been convinced to help._

"Aww, Eun, you don't have to flatter me." My cheeks warmed. "I think I've had enough of an ego boost for one day."

Eun chuckled, _I only speak the truth, Ara._

I was in the garden again, training with Eun to master the techniques needed to execute the ultimate attack. Unlike my first day of training I managed to make more progress. That alone was enough to boost my already elevated mood to the stars.

"All we have to worry about now is locating the Shard and our escape plan." I clumsily helped myself up on my trembling legs and proceeded toward the castle. "It should be easier now that we have an extra pair of hands to help us out."

 _I am concerned about the time wasted here in this castle._ Eun admitted.

"Yeah, me too." I replied, pushing open the castle doors. "I'm afraid Scarlet will steal the El Shard before we even manage to reach Hamel."

I scanned over the castle corridors, hoping I'd bump into Chung again. I frowned as the only people present was a group of knights, I briefly made out their concerns about the knights by the old harbour. With a huff of annoyance I proceeded down to my room before heading for the Mess Hall.

 _Perhaps we should sneak out at night and search the castle for the Shard._

"That's not a bad idea," I admitted under my breath. "But we can't take the risk of getting caught."

 _I understand, but you have an advantage. Your heightened senses can help you avoid patrolling guards._

"I know," I said softly. "But it's not a risk I want to take."

 _We do not have much of a choice, Ara. Time is precious._

I was about to respond when I noticed a purple-haired mage slumped under a window. Speka was curled into a fetal position, shoulder trembling. I instinctively slowed my walking pace, eyes glued on the distressed Dark Mage.

What should I do? I haven't spoken to her after I told her about the letters, even then she refused to speak with me and walked away when she finally regained her composure.

Speka perked her head up as if sensing my presence. Her puffy lavender eyes narrowed into slits at me, my legs abruptly froze under her gaze. Her hands curled into quivering fists, I was afraid she'd spring up and begin attacking me.

Instead of attacking, like I feared she would, Speka sighed of defeat and rested her head down.

I shouldn't be here, a voice screamed in my head. I should leave before I make things worse.

I didn't think twice before snapping my eyes away from her and proceeding onwards, however, Eun forced my legs to freeze before I could make my clean escape.

 _What are you doing?_ Eun chided. _Your team is still incomplete._

'Eun, I promised Speka I wouldn't bother her anymore.' I attempted to fight off Eun's control, but its strength proved superior over mine. 'It wouldn't matter if I talked to Speka. She wouldn't help me even if I was the last person on Earth..'

 _You thought the same thing with the others, now look where you are._

'It's not the same. Speka lost her twin, her family, that's on a whole new level compared to Elsword and the others.' I forced my legs to move once more, Eun's control wavered but it wasn't enough to completely free myself from it.

"Why are you still here?" Speka challenged with her head still down.

I cursed under my breath as Eun gave me control over my legs again," I-I...uh..." I didn't need a mirror to know my cheeks were cherry red.

"Are you enjoying yourself? Watching me suffer over what you've done to Aisha?" She lifted her head up, eyes hardened with hate.

"Speka, I-I'm really sorry about what happened to Aisha." I glanced away from her. It killed me to have to look at her, to see the pain I inflicted on her.

"Why? Why did you just stand there when that demon attacked you?!" Speka's voice sliced through my ears like a dagger. "S-she would still be alive if you moved."

"I-I didn't mean to stay still. It's just I-" I stopped myself mid-sentence. How could I tell her that my brother was part of the demon army? This was a fact I still have trouble accepting.

"You what?" Speka pressed on. "Tell me, you coward!"

Yes, I was and still am a coward. I couldn't bring myself to hurt my brother, that cost the life of my irreplaceable friend; even now I doubt I can bring myself to fight Aren. How could I call myself a knight when I couldn't even bring myself to hurt the enemy? I wish I was like Elesis, someone who's strong enough to separate her emotions from the fight.

"It doesn't matter now," I whispered, eyes flooded with hot tears. "I-I can't bring her back a-and I can't change what I did."

Speka's jaw dropped. She let out a humourless laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're horrible," Speka spat. "I-I don't understand how Eve, Raven and Chung could support you. At least Elsword is smart enough to keep away from you."

"Elsword actually agreed to join us today." I told her gently.

She cursed," to think I actually had some respect for that idiot."

"Speka," I forced myself to face her. "Almost everyone who's helping me isn't doing it for my sake," I sat down in front of her and proceeded to tell her the same thing I did with Elsword, though I made sure to speak softly.

"So," I said once I explained my point. "What will you do? Will you help us search for the remaining Shard or will you stay here?"

Speka bowed her head and dug her fingers into her scalp," I-I don't know." She whimpered. "W-why are you pressuring me into taking a side?"

I'm not-"

"Shut up!" She shrieked. I feverishly turned my head side to side, fearing a Red Knight Captain will come running toward her loud response. "F-first you let my sister die, n-now you're forcing me to choose a side. A-Ara, you're an awful person."

I allowed my shoulders to relax once sure no one was coming to investigate the noise," I know I am." I found myself chuckling at the blunt response. "But that won't stop me from protecting the remaining lives from destruction."

"A-Aisha would think this is crazy." Speka began mumbling to herself. I was about to say something in response but decided to let her continue. "S-She's a goody-two-shoes a-and she would never go through with this plan. S-she'd think of a different way to handle this situation, a-a way that wouldn't get us in trouble. Y-yeah, I-I'll do that too. L-like her I'll s-stay here and b-behave. I-I'll f-follow orders without fail a-and-"

"Stop," I hesitantly placed my hand on her arm. She tensed at the contact but didn't attempt to push me away. "I'm not asking what Aisha wants to do—"I gave her arm a tight squeeze"—I'm asking what _you_ want to do."

"I-I already told you. I-I'm doing what Aisha-"

"Speka, just because you're her twin doesn't mean you have to act like her clone." I told her firmly. "What do you really want to do?"

"Me?" That single word rolled out slowly from her tongue. "I...I want to kill demons. I want them to suffer for what they did to my sister."

That's not exactly what I had in mind.

"That's...uh...understandable." I struggled to find the right words.

"I'm not as sweet as Aisha." Speka went on flatly. "I'm certainly not as forgiving as her."

I lifted my hand off her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in her presence.

"Sure, if I go with you I'll get to kill more demons than I can here." Speka dropped her hands to her side and tilted her head up. A sly smile painted across her face. "And if you try to stab me in the back again I'll make sure to rip you apart, demon."

She began to laugh, despite the tears cascading from her dead eyes. Strangely, I felt my discomfort around her fade, that feeling of dread was replaced with pity. At that moment I realized Speka would take the longest, out of everyone, to heal from her internal wounds.

"Well, I shouldn't sit here and sulk." Speka giggled, helping herself up. "If you need help _eliminating_ a few obstacles, give me a call will ya'? Until then I'll be waiting for your _plan_ to get out of this miserable hole."

 _I pity her._ Eun sighed as she began stumbling down the corridor. _Her grief has driven her down dark path._

"I wish I hadn't talked to her." I admitted grimly. "I think I only made things worse."

 _Perhaps, but I would rather have her snap now than later, it will lessen the damage for her._ Eun added as I sprung up to my feet and examined the mute halls once more. _I think your words have gotten to her in some way. Why else would she agree to help us?_

"She wants to kill more demons," I reminded Eun with a shutter. "I don't know about you, but I felt _really_ uncomfortable with that conversation."

 _I am not very concerned about her sanity. At least now she will be able to heal in the presence of your team. I feel that will be the best condition for her._

"I highly doubt my team will be able to help her," I said, resuming my journey back to my bedroom. "We can barely get along."

 _You and your friends are doing much better than before._ Eun replied in an upbeat tone. It was a flattering yet futile attempt to cheer me up. _Our situation should only get better as time passes._

"You're awfully optimistic tonight." I arched my brow.

 _One of us has to stay positive._

I chuckled lightly. Eun has been unusually sanguine as of late. Ever since the day I nearly got myself killed, Eun has been acting more hopeful and supportive. Maybe it's trying to help keep my spirits up during bleak times or maybe Eun's still shaken up by my near-death experience. Whatever the reason may be I'll need to pay Eun back for all its aid.

I creaked open my bedroom door, expecting to simply enter for a mere second to discard my weapon, when I felt my heart leap up to my throat.

Standing directly in front of my nightstand was a figure cloaked in a long black. The stranger gasped, swinging themselves around to face me. Their baggy hood concealed majority of their face making it nearly impossible to see who they were. A salty odour clung onto them like a leech.

I pointed my spear at them," w-who are you?"

The figure cursed, I quickly noted their feminine voice, and sprung onto my nightstand, stepping on a new pile of paper beneath them. I felt my jaw dropping," w-wait. I won't hurt you. I just-"

The stranger sprung out of my open window before I got a chance to finish. I sprinted after them and poked my head out the window, frowning as I saw them leap over and behind the castle wall.


	17. Planning

**My tests are FINALLY finished and my second semester gives me a ton of free time to write and work on other projects. I can only upload one chapter this week as the next chapter isn't quite ready. Thank you for your patience, guys!**

 **On a completely different note, how do you guys like comics? I may or may not be working on one ;)**

I asked everyone to meet me at the castle garden after dinner, I specifically told them to leave at separate times to draw away any suspicions. The sky was merely threads away from surrendering to the night's veil once everyone was gathered, hidden behind a group of towering trees. We only had a few minutes left before off duty knights were expected to turn in for the night.

"Ara, we might get caught." Raven whispered once Speka had finally decided to grace us with her presence.

"It can't wait." I told him softly, eyes observing the two passing guards. "Besides, the trees will hide us from any suspecting eyes."

I turned my attention away from the guards and toward my group. Everyone (except Amos who's with Eve) was seated in a circle, leaving just enough room for me to squeeze in. I wanted to squeal and celebrate our first official reunion since Elsword disbanded the team, but that could wait.

"When I went in my room today I saw the person behind these," I pulled out a roll of papers from my robe's sleeves. Nearly everyone's eyes bulged at the parchments.

"Who was it?" Elsword asked eagerly.

"Their face was covered," I told him, laying the papers in the center of our circle. There were four sheets in total, two of which were old, yellowed blueprints of the castle and one was a sea chart. The last sheet was another letter. "They're a girl, I know that for sure, and they smelled like salt."

"Salt?" Chung quoted. "You mean like the ocean?"

"Er...yeah." I took a seat with the group. "I went over the papers once they left and I knew we _had_ to discuss them tonight."

"I can see why," Raven said, picking up one of the maps. "They managed to find an old layout of this place."

"Or stole them," Elsword pointed out with a scowl. "How can we be sure these things are accurate?"

"I've been researching enough to recognize some of these rooms." Raven pointed to a tiny room at the corner of the page. "This used to be an armoury but it's now been turned to a bedroom."

"So what does the letter say?" Chung asked, eyes locked on the last piece of paper. His question prompted curious eyes to lock onto me.

I picked up the paper and cleared my throat," _Ara, I've went through a lot of danger to get my hands on these maps. According to my sources the castle have gone through numerous renovations. I suspect the unneeded rooms have either been demolished or turned to secret spaces, perhaps one of them holds the Shard. I doubt your Captains will leave the El Shard laying out in the open._

 _I don't know how much longer you're staying, but it's a very bad idea to remain any longer. Another attack, stronger than anything you've seen before, will make its way to Velder once the next Shard is found. They know the Wind Shard is here with you guys._

 _Please don't let the next Shard fall into the wrong hands. I'm begging you. You want to save the remaining humans, don't you?_

 _The demon army has their sights on a city called Hamel. They're currently searching for someone called the Water Priestess, apparently she might know where the Shard is. I provided you a sea chart along with the maps, I hope it'll be enough to guide you there._

 _I won't be able to send any more letters after today. I've taken far too many risks to help you and I don't want to die, not yet anyways. Good luck, Ara. Everyone, demons and humans are counting on you and your team. I hope to talk to you again, in person._

 _P.S. please don't hold it against me for what I did to get here. I didn't have a choice._

"That last part sounds cryptic." Elsword frowned.

"Never mind that," I waved my hand dismissively. "According to this letter we don't have much time left."

"But it's not like we can do anything about it." Speka pointed out with a yawn.

"Not necessarily," Raven picked up the second map. "These maps are more detailed than anything I've seen in the library. I can probably work out a plan with Eve within a few days."

"That'd be great," I grinned. At least we have one major problem out of the way. "All we need now is our escape plan."

"We can't get to Hamel if we don't have a damn boat." Chung pointed out with a snort. "I bet the demons destroyed all of Velder's ships."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Elsword's comment raised Chung's brow. "I heard a couple of fishing boats survived the invasion."

"We're gonna cross the ocean on a tiny fishing boat?" Chung asked incredulously. I don't know much about boats. I do, however, doubt a journey through the sea would be fun on a tiny boat.

"We could swim across the ocean," Elsword deadpanned. "It's either the fishing boat or swimming. You choose."

"Whatever," Chung huffed, crossing his arms. "Don't cry to me when you get claustrophobia."

"How are we going to get the boat?" I pressed on with Elsword's suggestion.

"I heard the remaining boats are still at Port Lurensia," Elsword began to explain. "The only problem being the port is now one of our posts, and I doubt the knights on duty will let us scout the area of a functioning boat."

A buffet of wind thread into our circle, its invisible fingers brushing rustling the leaves hanging over us.

"So we might have to fight them," Raven finally spoke what was stirring in most, if not all, of our heads.

"Fight or sneak through them," Elsword corrected. "Either way we'll need to break a few rules if we want this mission to be a success."

He was right. If we wanted to protect the remaining people of Eloris we'll need to take more risks, even if those risks paint a bad picture of us.

"I know Velder like the back of my hand," Elsword added momentarily. "I can find us a safe route to reach the port."

"Thanks," I smiled. Elsword locked his eyes on the ground in response to my comment and turned his head away.

"I'm not doing this to help you. I'm only doing this for Elesis' sake." He reminded me coldly. Chung narrowed his eyes at Elsword, but before he could say anything I spoke up.

"We're going to need lots of food for this trip, unfortunately the only way we can do that is by stealing." The cool evening air thickened at my statement. I curled my hands into tight fists, wishing I could take back what I just said.

"That might be our biggest challenge," Chung replied solemnly, hardened eyes still glued on Elsword. "The kitchen and Mess Hall is always filled with people."

"It'll most likely be empty at night." Raven pointed out. "There might be a few guards here and there. It shouldn't be very troublesome though."

"Ara will have to do the stealing for us," Speka said, nonchalantly checking her nails. "She's the only one here who can see well in the dark. She'll have the most advantage fighting in the dark."

"Speka...actually has a point." Chung replied reluctantly. "We're kinda useless in the dark."

"I-I guess I'll do it." I slumped on the spot like a withered flower. Now I'll have another thing to feel guilty about.

 _I do not wish to steal either, but this has to be done. Our survival counts on it._

'I know, Eun, but it doesn't make me feel any better.'

 _If you cannot bring yourself to steal allow me to take control. I am more than willing to take the blame for you._

"I have another question," Elsword raised his hand like a kid in a classroom. "Are we gonna make our grand escape at night? If we are, fighting will be a major problem, especially when we might be going up against a large group."

"Escaping at night would be ideal," Raven mused to himself outloud. "Then again we might have to rely on Ara alone to fight."

If Yang was here we wouldn't have to worry about this so much. Having two demons should be more than enough to fend off any obstacles hiding in the dark. A tinge of pain shot through my chest. It's been so long since I've thought of my Ancient Phoru, I almost forgot how much its death hurt.

"I'll finalize the plan once Eve and I figure out where the Shard could be hidden." Raven's comment snapped me out of my daze. "For now we just need a way to sneak into the port—"he looked at Elsword"—we're counting on you to figure something out."

"Yeah, yeah," Elsword replied with a bored sigh. "So are we done yet? I wanna go to sleep."

"Uh...sure." I folded the letter in half and stuffed it back into my sleeve. "If anything new comes up we'll meet again."

Elsword and Speka both got up to their feet, not bothering to wish us a good night as they left. Raven and Chung, however, lingered behind with me.

"That went better than I thought," I laughed lightheartedly. It was strange having the entire group gathered in one place, cooperating and devising a plan together. If Aisha and Rena were here I have no doubt they'd be smiling at our reunion.

"I'm surprised Speka showed up," Chung admitted, taking the sea chart. "I didn't think she'd be joining us on this mission."

"I managed to convince her to help us." I told him truthfully. "She...uh...had her own reasons to join us."

Not a good reason mind you.

"The more the merrier," Raven curled the two maps in hand and helped himself up, Chung and I followed him up. "I should get going as well. Eve and I have a busy night with all these maps."

Raven stuffed the maps haphazardly up his sleeves and wished us both a goodnight, leaving Chung and I alone. A familiar warmth erupted on my cheeks as a gentle silence enveloped between us.

"I don't know how you did it, but you managed to get everyone back together again." Chung's sapphire eyes softened on me. "You really are something."

"I-it's not that big of a deal," I stammered, absentmindedly playing with a strand of hair. "I was the reason why everyone split in the first place so it should be my responsibility to fix it."

"Still, it's not easy to fix a mistake like that." He shifted closer to me, his armoured arm brushing against mine. I wish he wasn't in his battle gear. I wanted to feel his warmth again.

"Hey, sorry about everything before," his voice breathed out softly. "I can't imagine it was easy for you, especially when everyone's death was still fresh on our minds."

Don't cry, I chided myself. Whatever you do don't break down, you've already done enough of that.

"It wasn't easy for anyone," I hastily wiped my damp eyes dry. "But thanks for apologizing. It means a lot to me."

"Of course," Chung lazily draped his arm over my shoulders. "You've been continuously apologizing to us. I think it's time to return the favour."

I smiled to myself and bowed my head, even as the night grew colder I couldn't feel a single chill; at least not when I was with him.

* * *

I rapped on the closed library door. In an instant Echo's muffled voice called for me to come in from the other side. I pushed the door open and stepped in. Echo had various glass flasks and test tubes, each filled with a coloured substance, set on one end of the long table while the other end held her completed potions.

"Ara," Echo greeted me with a toothy grin. In one hand she had a test tube filled with a green liquid and the other held a flask filled with what appeared to be water.

"I'm here to help you out with your work again," I told her, clicking the door shut behind me. "I overheard a couple of knights complaining about an alchemist taking up the entire library. I came here to see if it was you."

"Complaining about me taking up this space?" Echo rolled her green eyes. "Oh please, I deserve a _much_ larger space with the amount of potions and ingredients I work with each day."

"They just don't understand." I said with a small chuckle.

"Ara, I really appreciate your offer, but don't you have to patrol?" She asked, gingerly tilting the test tube over the flask.

"I'm finished my shift and I figured I should help you out one last time." I approached her messy work table. "I still have to help you one more time to complete my punishment." I added, referring to the task I was assigned by Elesis when I took the blame for Elsword.

"Great, I could use some help," she said as the green liquid drizzled into the clear substance. "Once I'm done with this I'll have you make some healing potions for me. We're quickly running low on supplies."

We spent the next hour discussing the castle's struggle to maintain the survivors. Echo did most of the talking while I listened. The more she spoke about the survivor's unrest, especially with the shortage of food, the more my guilt weighed on my shoulders. The Velder knights were already struggling enough, they're required to feed everyone who's still alive and defend the remains of Velder with the little people they have left. I wish I didn't need to steal from them, that there was another way for us to obtain food.

"You sure made a lot of potions." I said once Echo finished ranting about the poor living conditions for the remaining citizens.

"Allegro and Amos sometimes help me out. I'd go mad if I had to make these all on my own." Echo said as she poured a blue substance into an empty glass bottle. "This is actually the first time I'm allowed to work in here. I'm usually stuck in a small laboratory but after many complaints the captains finally gave me the luxury of a bigger space."

I would go mad too if I was forced to make all these potions in a small space.

"Are these all healing potions?" I asked, eyes trailing down the line of multicoloured bottles.

"Not all," Echo placed the blue bottle down amongst many others. "I've gotten requests to make potions to aid in battle."

"Like elemental orbs?"

She shook her head and began trudging her way down the line of completed potions," majority of these are for healing." She stopped at the end of the table. "But these guys down here are for enhancing magic stamina and strength."

That peaked my interest. If we could brew up potions like that, fighting the demons should be a bit easier," are they going to be used in all battles from now on?" I questioned her.

"Unfortunately they take a long time to make and we just don't have enough supplies to make a lot." She picked up a slender, purple bottle. A lavender liquid stirred inside. "This is one of my greatest creations. It's called the Vigor Potion."

"What does it do?" I forced my eyes off the mysterious potion and continued mixing two coloured substances together.

"It's not only great at healing wounds, but it was the ability to enhance senses."

I nearly dropped the test tube in my hand," so it sharpens your basic senses?" I tried to keep my voice calm and steady.

"Precisely," Echo answered in an instant. "It should also increase magical stamina. A couple drops of this baby alone can give you a significant advantage in battle."

If I everyone in my team takes a sip of the potion we should be able to navigate through the night easier. Not only that, we'd be able to use more magic without tiring faster.

Are you seriously going to steal from a friend? A voice chided in the back of my head.

"Please don't tell anyone about the enhancing potions," Echo placed the potion back in place and proceeded back to work. "The other knights would be upset if they knew we weren't distributing them out in every battle."

"O-okay," I couldn't help but stammer, but thankfully Echo didn't find that response to be suspicious.

"I heard from Elesis that you're starting to eat with your friends again. Is that true?" I found my shoulders relaxing at the change of subject.

"Yeah. Elsword and Speka aren't really enjoying the company, b-but they're stilling willing to stay with us." I handed the mixed substance to Echo to make some finishing touches.

"That's awesome," Echo's eyes twinkled at my response. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this to happen."

"I still can't believe they're warming up to me already," I told her truthfully as I started mixing the next concoction. "Especially after what I put them through."

"Aww, don't be like that." Echo replied gently. "They had every right to be mad at first, but I know for a fact that they can't stay angry at you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're genuinely a good person," her comment made my jaw drop; I couldn't—wouldn't believe what she just said to me. "Sure, you did some bad things, but that doesn't define who you are. I've seen how desperate you were to protect your friends even if they treated you badly. You worked _hard_ to regain a fraction their trust, and that's not easy to do."

"O-oh," my fingers tightened around the fragile test tube.

"You might not believe me but that's how I feel." She poured the finished potion into yet another empty bottle. "I was so scared you'd lose yourself in grief. I'm glad things turned out differently."

She paused, allowing the remaining potion to cascade into its respective container," I almost lost myself in grief too." She breathed. "After Ruben was destroyed I felt like I lost everything. K-knowing my home and many of the villagers were destroyed, i-it ruined me. That village...it was the only place I felt accepted. I-I loved Ruben village. The people there actually...respected what I was passionate about.

"I stopped caring about everything afterwards. Unlike you I didn't show others my pain. It was really heartbreaking to see you give up like me, Ara. I hated being reminded of what I was slowly becoming, despite the differences in our suffering. Nonetheless I still found myself admiring you. Even when you hit rock bottom you still did everything you could to protect the people who threw you aside. I s-saw how you kept fighting through the hardship a-and now you're slowly reassembling your friends. It gave me hope to keep fighting for a better future. For my sake and the sake and everyone who's n-no longer here."

Echo's eyes were welling with tears. She hastily wiped them dry with the back of her hand and placed the finish potion with the others.

I was left speechless. How could I respond after hearing something like _that_? A part of me was still skeptical about the truth behind her words, that I was the one who gave her hope again. It was impossible for me to accept that I did something good for someone.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving after all of this potion making." Echo stretched her arms skywards and yawned, acting as if she had never told me the truth to her suffering. "I'm gonna go for lunch. You want to come along?"

"I...uh... already ate," that wasn't a complete lie. I did grab myself a small snack before coming here.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged. "Once you're done mixing the ingredients just leave. Allegro will come by shortly to continue my work."

I bobbed my head and smiled," it was nice talking to you again."

"I'm relieved to see you smiling again." She replied, threading her way around the table and toward the exit. "I'll be sure to tell Elesis that you've served your punishment, but don't let that stop you from helping me out in the future." She added.

"I'll keep that in mind." I replied, the invisible weights on my shoulders grew heavier.

Once she left the library I finished mixing the final ingredients and placed them down as instructed. I cursed under my breath and raked my hand through my hair.

"How can I steal from someone like that?" I whispered to myself. Anger boiling at the sinful idea that emerged in my head.

 _I do not like the idea of taking from your friend, however, it is something we must do._ Eun piped in.

"It's not right," I directed my agitation towards Eun. "Echo has been supporting us since we woke up in this place. H-how can I bring myself to steal from her?"

 _You said it yourself,_ Eun replied tightly. _The Vigor Potion will aid us greatly in this escape._

"I-I know, but-"

 _I understand your distaste in taking from someone as kind as Echo, yet if we do not take the potion our escape may end in failure. The consequences will be much more sever._

What made me sick to my stomach wasn't the fact that Eun wanted me to take from someone who believed I was good, but that I found myself agreeing with Eun. If someone else, someone who was truly good, stood in my position they'd fight against Eun and walk away from the potions. I, on the other hand, wanted to walk away with a potion in hand.

 _Echo herself said a couple drops will be enough to give us an advantage in battle._ Eun reminded me tenderly. _We only need one potion._

We're still stealing in the end, although taking one potion would do less damage than taking two or three.

 _Allegro will be here soon._ Eun warned. _I suggest you make up your mind now._

Despite what my heart and conscious was screaming at me to do, I listened to my instincts. I approached the Vigor Potions, took one and hid it under my sleeve. I whispered an apology to Echo and proceeded out the library, leaving behind a dagger in my unsuspecting friend's back.

* * *

I hid the potion under my pillow and proceeded to train with Eun. Perusal I made further progress but I was not giving it all during the training session. How could I when guilt was eating away at me? Eun felt my disinterest in training yet it continued to push me to train work until I was ready to drop dead.

Every muscle in my body was aching when I sat down for dinner with my team. Everyone was present with the exception of Amos and Eve, I'm guessing they're eating somewhere private. We each wordlessly greeted each other before diving into our meal. No one spoke a word until we had all emptied our plates.

"So how was the research?" I asked in a hushed voice. The Mess Hall has become more lively as of late, thus decreasing the chances of someone catching our conversation. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"We found a couple of suspicious places." Raven, who sat across me, whispered back. "The throne room and library are the two places that have went through the most change. Back then the space for the two rooms were much larger."

"I think the throne room is our best bet." Elsword spoke up, sitting alongside Raven; eyes locked onto his empty plate. "The last King of Velder wanted to hide his gold in the throne room, a place he spent most of his time in."

"Is that why the throne room was renovated? To make space for a hidden space?" Chung speculated beside me.

Elsword shrugged," maybe. I heard rumors that the secret room _is_ accessible. It's just a bit difficult to locate."

"Well duh," Speka, who sat on the other side of Raven, rolled her eyes. "That's why it's called a secret room."

Elsword's face heated at her response but he refused to comment any further.

 _If the Shard is truly hidden in the throne room I doubt it will be without a defence system._ Eun began to explain. _The captains will either guard it from the inside or protect it with a spell._

I relayed Eun's message to the group.

"Fighting a Red Knight Captain would be the worst possible outcome," Chung commented once I finished speaking. "We'll draw attention to ourselves and attract more opponents."

"Then what about a spell?" Elsword challenged. "How are we ever going to past that?"

"We have a mage," Chung gestured to Speka who instantly froze at the suggestion. "Speka must know some tricks to break a defensive spell."

"Y-yes, I do know how to deactivate spells and traps...i-it's just that-"

"Awesome," Raven was practically beaming at the information. "One less thing to worry about."

Speka curled her lips together and withered in her seat," t-that's Aisha's specialty, though." She whispered to herself. Only I could pick up her faint voice.

"Eve and I came up with other possible locations. We circled all of them on the map if the library and throne room prove to be useless." Raven added, oblivious to Speka's response.

"Great, now we have an idea of where the Shard can be." Chung averted his eyes on Elsword. "Hey, Elsword, did you think of a way to get us to the docks?"

"Yeah, I have an idea," his voice dragged out lazily. "But it'll require us to split up." He paused, allowing us to register his suggestion.

"What do you have in mind?" I tentatively broke the silence.

"I got the idea when I was patrolling the survivor's camp earlier today." Elsword began to explain. "It's small, but not _that_ small. In the dark it'll be hard for the guards to distinguish faces. I was thinking we'd use the camp as our ticket out of here."

"You're suggesting we should cut through the survivor's camp to escape." Raven predicted.

"You're close," Elsword smirked at his attempt to unravel the plan. "We obviously can't carry any weapons around so that means people with large weapons can't sneak through. The Team A will take a longer route around the camp and try to scout for boats when they arrive at the port. Team B will be in charge of getting our food and the Shard. The short cut through the camp will benefit the second team only."

"It's not a bad idea," Chung rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But Ara also carries a fairly noticeable weapon and we _need_ her to get us the food. There's also the issue of seeing in the dark and navigating through the city."

"I used to live in Velder." Raven reminded him grimly. "I still remember how to get to the old port."

"And I can fight without my spear. I have Eun, remember?" I felt Eun burst with pride at my remark. "And on that note I have something to tell everyone." I told my team about the Vigor Potion and its ability to enhance senses.

"This is great," Chung flashed me a warm smile. "That'll ensure our chances of succeeding drastically."

"It will decrease the amount of time needed to search for the Shard too. Now we can all gather food together." Raven added excitedly. "Elsword, do you have the teams picked out?"

"Y-you're expecting me to organize the teams?" Elsword looked genuinely taken aback.

"I figured you'd organize us since you're the one planning the escape." I bobbed my head along with Raven's comment. To me it was obvious who was going to which team. I knew, however, by allowing Elsword decide it'll boost his confidence as a leader again—I had no doubt this was Raven's idea a s well."

"A-are you guys serious about letting me assign the teams?" Elsword sheepishly looked around the table. Everyone, except Speka, gave him their permission. "Er...if that's really what you want."

He bowed his head, barely hiding the cheeky grin formed on his face," Chung is obviously going to team A. Eve, Amos and I will be joining him. I'm tempted to put Eve in team B but I doubt her Nasod appearance will blend in well with the survivors." He lifted his head up, his expression now neutral. "Ara, Speka and Raven will be team B. We're going to hope the Shard is protected by a spell only, if not retreat without the Shard-" he stopped himself mid sentence. "Uh...sorry I don't have a say in what you should do when you encounter any captains."

"I like the idea," I reassured him. "I'd rather leave than to deal with a couple of angry Red Knights."

"I agree with her," Raven piped in. "It's better than losing and getting captured by the captains."

Elsword's shoulders relaxed at our support. Speka continued to keep to herself, her face now drained of colour. She opened her mouth to say something, probably an attempt to be moved onto the first team, when Elesis' loud voice cut her off.

"You guys are eating together again!" Everyone snapped their mouths shut at her approach. She was being wheeled over by Noel, one plate was rested on her lap while another plate was held in her hands.

"When she told me you guys were eating together I couldn't believe it," Noel laughed

"They're slowly making up as friends," Elesis gushed as she handed the plates over to Noel. "I'm so proud of them."

"I am too," Noel helped Elesis out of her wheelchair and onto the bench, beside Elsword, before taking a seat himself. "I should write a song about you guys."

"Please don't," Elesis rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. "I'm tired of hearing you sing."

"She's just jokin'," he gave us a toothy smile. "I assure you that I'm a terrific singer."

"Anyways," Elesis pretended to not hear Noel's remark—Noel shrugged and began to eat. "How is everyone doing? Are you guys getting along well?"

"Yeah," Elsword forced a smile. "We're doing better than before." That wasn't a complete lie.

"That's so good to hear," Elesis' eyes flashed with sorrow. "Friends should never hold grudges against each other. It does so much more harm than good."

Elsword shifted in his seat, evidently uncomfortable at what his sister was absentmindedly referencing to.

"One day y'all will want to form a team again, and when that day comes it'll be crucial for you to learn from your past mistakes." Elesis started to lecture. I exchanged glances with my group, feeling unsure of how this was going to end up. "You'll need to put aside your differences and work together."

"We've basically done that," Raven gestured to me. "We're getting along with Ara again despite her connection to demons."

"T-that's very good," Elesis's lower lip began to tremble. Noel promptly stopped eating. "N-no matter what happened between y-you guys in the past, p-please don't let that hurt your future a-as friends. T-the anger and hate i-isn't worth the pain."

"Elesis," Noel placed his hand on her shoulder.

"A-and remember to stay alert when fighting together. A-as a team y-you are all responsible for each other's safety." Tears flowed down from her eyes at the mention of fighting, something she will never be able to do. "I-it's a dangerous w-world. The best way to survive i-is to fight together a-and look after each other…"

She buried her face in her hands and began to bawl. Noel tenderly comforted her, reassuring she'll be okay. I took a quick glance at Elsword, even he appeared to be on the verge of tears.

"S-sorry," she hiccuped. "I-I don't know what got into me. I-I guess I'm just scared o-of the future, o-our world has been quite twisted lately. W-who knows what will happen next?"

No one spoke to her besides Noel, who continued to give her all his support.

"Don't worry, Sis." Elsword mumbled to himself, his voice almost drowned in the noise around us. "You won't have to worry about the future any longer. Not when we're finished with this mission."


	18. The Escape Part 1

I dug through my backpack, making sure I packed everything I needed for the escape. Chung warned us that Hamel was often plagued with low temperatures, in turn, I packed myself a couple hoodies.

 _It may be cold tonight._ Eun warned. _Perhaps you should wear an extra sweater._

"Don't worry, Eun. I'll be okay." I said, releasing the golden necklace hanging from my neck. "I'm gonna be wearing the blue pendant Chung gave me, that alone can protect me from the cold."

I gingerly lowered my Mother's necklace in the bag, its golden chain clanged against the Vigor Potion's glass container. I promptly replaced the golden necklace with Chung's ocean blue pendant.

 _The night is coming quickly. We should use this time to rest._ Eun suggested.

"Rest?" I quoted with a light chuckle. "Eun, I'm too hyped for this mission to even stay still."

 _You better conserve that energy for the main event later. Everyone is counting on you to retrieve the food._

"I guess you have a point." I sighed, flopping onto my bed.

The golden sun was still visible in the sky, lighting up the land with its amber blanket. We still have a couple hours before the moon took reign; until we could begin our escape.

I allowed my eyelids to fall and forced myself to stay still. The seconds seemed to drag by as I willed myself to rest. I cracked my eyes open every couple minutes to see if the golden sunlight had dissipated from my room, feeling a surge of frustration each time I was greeted with golden light.

A knock pounded against my door when the darkness had almost taken reign over the heavens. I snapped up to a sitting position, heart racing at the abrupt noise.

"Ara, are you awake?" Echo's voice sounded from the other side.

I cursed under my breath and reached for my bag, hastily zipping it closed and placed it down on the ground. "C-come in," I responded, forcefully relaxing my shoulders.

The door creaked open. Echo popped her head in," um sorry to bother you at this hour." She greeted me with a sheepish smile.

"It's okay," I pretended to rub the sleep out of my eyes. "What's up?"

"Umm, it's about yesterday." Her response made my already tiny room feel smaller. "When you left did you see anyone suspicious around?"

"Suspicious?" I tilted my head in confusion. "I don't think so. Why are you asking?"

"Well," she hesitated for a second. "Allegro told me we were one potion short. We're specifically missing a Vigor Potion. I was wondering if you saw anyone near the library when you left."

"N-no, I didn't see anyone," I dropped my eyes to the end of my bed. "I-if I did I would've told them to stay away from the library."

"Oh," Echo sounded deflated. "L-looks like I'm in a bit of trouble then."

"What?" I snapped my eyes back on her. "Why are you in trouble?"

Echo scratched her cheek," I wasn't supposed to leave the potions unsupervised. It's my fault for not telling you to stay until Allegro arrived, but I didn't think anyone would take anything."

Great, not only did I steal from a friend but I also got them in trouble. There's no way Echo will forgive me; how can I blame her, though?

"I'm so sorry to hear that," I replied softly.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault." She grinned tightly. "It just sucks how I'll need to make even more potions tomorrow."

"That's...stressful."

She shrugged," I deserved it."

I bit my lower lip, fearing I might accidentally blurt the truth to her.

"Well, I shouldn't bother you any longer," Echo added cheerfully. Her sudden change in demeanour left my stomach twisting into knots. "Good night, Ara."

"N-night," I forced a smile for her.

Once Echo had retreated back outside I collapsed down on my bed again," Eun, I feel so guilty." I whispered in case Echo was still in earshot.

 _I do not like what we did, but we had no other choice._

Did we really have no other choice? I don't want to believe we had no other option than to steal.

 _We should not dwell on what is done._ Eun drew my attention to the darkened sky. _Time is running short._

Although I wanted to muse further on my decision of stealing from Echo, I knew Eun was right. The mission at stake was worth much more than a single Vigor Potion. I just wish it didn't feel as bad as it sounds.

I suppressed those conflicted thoughts to the back of my mind and pushed myself out of bed. Since I was going to cut through the survivor's camp I needed to wear something casual to blend in. I slipped on a thin black hoodie and worn out jeans. I finished my look off with an old pair of runners and stuffed my usual attire in my bag.

The crescent moon was shining with all its glory once I was all set to go. I swung my backpack over my shoulders and grabbed my spear.

"There's no turning back now," I told myself firmly. "Time to go."

I held my breath and gingerly opened my door, its usual creaks sounded extra loud tonight. I poked my head out of my room, carefully examining the halls before stepping out.

We're meeting in the Mess Hall. I reminded myself as my door clicked shut behind me. I better hurry, everyone will be waiting for the Vigor Potion.

Without another thought, I began tiptoeing my way down the hall. My heart was hammering against my chest, its movements fuelled by burning adrenaline. Luckily, I managed to reach my destination without running into a single guard. I was about to push open the ajar doors to the Hall when someone on the other side spoke up.

"Shh, I hear someone." Eve's faint voice sounded. Not a single peep sounded once she had said that.

"I-it's me, Ara." I squeaked.

Someone breathed a sigh of relief. I took that as my signal to proceed further.

"It's about time you showed up," Speka said once I entered.

Like me, everyone was adorned in dark casual clothing. Raven notably wore a long, black coat to cover the sword sheathed by his side.

"We almost got caught when we first came here," Eve told me grimly. "Guards were situated all throughout the hall."

"Eve and I managed to knock them out," Raven quickly added. "I'm surprised no one heard all the noise we were making."

"I'm glad you guys could fight them off in the dark," I said slipping off my bag. "Where did you put all the guards anyways?"

"We kinda just hid them under the tables," Raven admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Eve suggested we gag and bind them together. The only problem is we have no rope."

"I tried to help but Raven didn't let me." Amos pouted, crossing his arms together. "He said I wasn't strong enough."

"You aren't." Raven and Eve replied at once.

"Whatever," Amos stomped his foot and turned his back on them.

"Still, I would like to teach him how to defend himself," Raven muttered under his breath.

"I hope the guards stay down long enough." I promptly changed the subject, taking out the potion and handing it Chung first.

The Vigor Potion was quickly passed around the group. By the time it returned to my hand the bottle was almost empty. I decided against taking the potion myself as I already have the advantages of heightened senses. I carefully placed the potion back inside my bag and zipped it shut,

"Are you guys feeling any different?" I asked, swinging on my backpack again.

"Not yet," Chung looked around the darkened Hall. "But the room does look a bit brighter now." I suppose that's progress.

"We should start looking in the throne room," Raven said to Speka; her shoulders rose in response.

"I'll stay behind to gather us some food. I'm the only one so far who has perfect vision in the dark." I suggested. "Raven, can you just show me where the room is?"

Raven reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He unfolded the map in haste and showed me where to go. Once I understood which path to take Raven and Speka (who still seemed reluctant to follow) took off, leaving me behind with the others.

"We can help you out," Chung told me.

"But we can't stay for too long. Remember, we're the ones who will be taking the long route to the port." Elsword reminded him quickly and sternly. Chung narrowed his eyes on Elsword but thankfully refrained himself from commenting any further.

"Just try to take what you can," I replied to Chung, desperately ignoring the tension between the guys.

Chung smiled," sounds good to me."

"I guess I'll keep watch," Elsword sighed loudly, like a kid wanting to draw attention to himself.

"Amos, please stay with Elsword." Eve's request made Amos grunt with dissatisfaction. When the Ponggo attempted to bargain with the Nasod she instantly shut him down.

"Fine," Amos huffed, pounding his foot once more on the stone floor. "I'm glad I could help you guys."

"I will assist Ara in the kitchen. Amos, stay here with Elsword and behave." Eve ordered sternly. Amos turned his head the other way, pretending he didn't hear her.

"Raven and I will have a strict conversation concerning your behaviour once this is over." Eve's response made the Ponggo visibly tense, he was adamant to remain silent, though. Shaking her head in frustration, Eve turned on her heels to join me and Chung. No one in the room dared to question Eve and her response to the young Ponggo.

Chung, Eve and I wasted little to no time searching through the kitchen. At first, Eve and Chung, who evidently had trouble navigating through the dark, suggested we turn on the lights. Eun and I strongly went against the idea, we shouldn't risk drawing any extra attention to ourselves even _if_ we had Elsword keeping watch.

It took mere minutes for the Vigor Potion to take effect, it wasn't long til we worked as a coherent team in the shadows. Eve and I worked together to look for food while Chung sought out empty glass jars and filled them with fresh water. He claimed that we couldn't just live off of sea water.

"Guys," Elsword pushed the squeaky kitchen door open, causing Chung to nearly drop a jar of water. "We need to go now. If we leave any later we won't have time to scout the port." He hissed through closed teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, we're comin'," Chung mumbled.

"Hurry up. We don't have all the time in the world to do this." Elsword snapped before disappearing behind the kitchen door.

"Damn, I was hoping we'd get some more water before leaving," Chung grunted, carefully placing the glass bottle in his stuffed bag.

"Don't worry, you've filled enough jars to last us for days," I responded while stuffing a potato into a small pocket of my backpack.

"I hope that's the case." He muttered. "Do you need anything else from us before we leave?"

"Yeah, do you think you can carry my spear for me?"

"Sure." Chung hastily zipped his bag back up and threw it over his shoulder. I tossed my weapon toward him once he had his backpack safely secured.

"I apologise that we cannot aid you any further." Eve zipped up her bag and rose up to join Chung. "I wish we could stay here longer and make your job easier."

"You two helped a lot. Thanks to you guys we have a lot more food," I reassured her. That alone didn't seem to be enough to ease Eve's unnecessary guilt.

"You better hurry and leave. I'll see you guys again at the port."

"Right," Chung pushed open the creaking kitchen door and took a single step out before pausing. He turned his head to me, eyes stirring with raw concern," take care, Ara. You better make it to us in one piece." He spoke to me like it was the last time we would see each other, the softness of his voice pulled at my heartstrings.

For a single second, I forgot about our circumstance and the risks we were willingly throwing ourselves into. All that mattered was his genuine fear for my safety; all that mattered was that he cared about me again.

"And _you_ better not get killed," I beamed at him. Strangely, despite the many dangers that plagued our mission, the smile I managed was pure and not shaken by the potential hazards of this escape. "Good luck," I added softly

His cheeks darkened in colour, but before he could respond Elsword urged them to get moving. Chung's eye twitched at Elsword's interruption," we're comin'." Chung groaned.

"Better pick up the pace if you two don't wanna get left behind," Elsword added sharply.

Chung flashed me a quick, toothy smile before joining Elsword in the Mess Hall. The suffocating anxiety of failing this mission seemed to loosened its grip around my throat—I only have Chung to thank for that.

"I wish your part of the mission well," Eve spoke as she proceeded to the exit, but before she could leave she halted beside an open drawer. Her golden eyes sparked at whatever caught her attention.

"What's wrong?" I asked, zipping up my potato pocket.

"Raven and I recently had a talk about training Amos." She tentatively reached inside the drawer and pulled out a slender kitchen knife. "If he is to live with us during this time he will need to know how to defend himself. However, we are reluctant to put him through rigorous training; Raven especially. Amos is still so young. What if he cannot take the pain that comes with it? What if he is severely hurt?" Eve's hand tightened around the knife's handle.

 _He does not need to go through strict training. As long as he knows how to defend himself against an enemy that is enough._ I relayed Eun's message to Eve.

"That is the sole reason as to our idea to train him. Still, it is not easy to train for battle. I do not want to see Amos injured." Pain flashed Eve's golden eyes at her last sentence. "Perhaps I simply care for him too much." At that moment Eve was no longer an "emotionless" Nasod Queen, she had transformed into a loving mother right before my eyes.

 _As a guardian or parent it is difficult to put your child through pain; however, without hardship, a youth will not grow. It is your job, as his parental figure, to help him through painful times. Even I sometimes wish I could keep Ara from fighting. I do not enjoy seeing my...child in pain, but she would not be as strong as she is today if I sheltered her._

Once again I repeated what Eun said to her, though the last bit was embarrassing to say.

"Yes, I suppose you are correct." She blinked her misty eyes. " I hope if Raven will share the same thought in the near future. Even now he is hesitant about the idea."

"Eve," Elsword knocked on the kitchen door, his voice edging with impatience. "We need to go _now_."

"C-coming," she hurriedly stuffed the knife into her bumpy bag. "Thank you, E-Eun, for your input. I am glad someone understands." Eve flashed us a quick smile before hurrying out the door.

"Wow, Eun, I didn't know you felt that way about me," I whispered in a barely audible tone.

 _I-I was only sharing my perspective._ Eun stammered. I found myself chuckling at its flustered response. _I a-apologize if that made you uncomfortable._

"It was a little embarrassing to say all of that to my friend," my cheeks warmed in response. "Other than that I don't feel uncomfortable of how you feel. I actually think it's really sweet."

 _W-we are wasting time,_ Eun drew my attention back to my half empty bag. _Hurry, we must finish our task before helping Raven and Speka._

I rolled my eyes," yes, mother." Even if Eun didn't admit it, I felt a tinge of joy radiate from it.

I filled the remainder of my bag with fruits and bread. Once I was finished my bag weighed like a lumpy boulder. I scanned over the small space one last time before deciding my task was finished. On my way out, I made sure to grab a kitchen knife, I didn't like the idea of running around completely unarmed.

Elsword and the others left the Mess Hall doors wide open, probably an attempt to draw away suspicion. The muffled groans and shuffling of several restrained knights could now be heard under one of the tables. If a knight happened to walk by there's no doubt they'd hear the commotion. I was tempted to locate them and knock them out again when gentle footsteps echoed from beyond the Hall doors.

Cursing I dove behind the closest table. I curled my hands into fists and held my breath, my palms grew clammy as the footsteps undoubtedly grew louder.

I'll have to knock out whoever comes here, I thought, sliding my newly acquired weapon out from under my sleeve. If anything goes wrong I'll need to look for Raven and Speka quick.

My head was spinning with every ticking second. Even if I was planted in a single spot it felt like I had run a marathon, lungs burning for more air. Finally, the footsteps stopped momentarily in front of the Hall entrance. I strained my ears, hoping I'd be able to hear who was speaking.

The world stopped spinning, all except the footsteps now entering. I could clearly hear there was an accomplice. Whoever was walking in took long, calculated strides. I placed a second hand on the trembling knife. The vast eating space now felt like a cage, its stone walls slowly closing in on me.

My heart jumped to my throat as a single leg came into sight. Without a second thought, I sprinted out from my hiding place and tackled the mysterious person down.

"S-stop," Speka's voice put an invisible restraint on my muscle. "Calm down i-it's us."

Hearing Speka speak pulled me out of my fight or flight mind-set. It was only then I realised I had tackled Raven down, my blade mere inches away from his shoulder.

"You two scared me to death," I sighed of relief, lowering my still-trembling arms.

" _We_ scared you?" Raven quoted incredulously. "Says the one who popped out of nowhere and attacked us."

"Sorry," I shakily crawled off him and got up. "I couldn't risk getting caught."

"I guess we don't have to worry about you during this mission," With a grunt, Raven helped himself to his feet. "How much food did you get?"

"Eve and Chung helped me gather some supplies, now we have more than enough for the long journey." Raven's muscles visibly relaxed at the news. " What about you two? Was there anything in the throne room?"

"We found a secret room but there weren't any signs of the Shard," Raven explained with a frown. "Hell, the room wasn't even guarded by anything."

"All we found were cobwebs," Speka scrunched her nose in disgust. "And since you took your sweet time we decided to look for you."

"S-sorry, there was a lot to pack." I apologised on instinct. Eun immediately chided me for apologising for something I couldn't control, it was to be expected that I took some time to find the right supplies.

"It would've been nice if the Shard was there," I said once Eun was finished giving me an earful, slipping the knife back up my sleeve. "We shouldn't dwell on it too much. There's still a lot of places we still have to look."

"I doubt we'll find anything before dawn." Speka folded her arms. "We should just leave without the Shard. It'll be easier that way."

Ignoring Speka's comment I turned to Raven," our next destination is the library, right?"

"Yeah," he pulled out one of the rolled out maps and opened it. "That's the second most likely place it'll be. If it's not there I suggest we leave without it. We can't afford to search through the entire castle."

Although Speka was beaming at the idea of leaving with the Shard behind, I frowned," we should at least look at couple more locations before leaving it behind. I don't like the idea of keeping the Shard here."

"I don't either," Raven rolled the map back up and stuffed it into his pocket. "We can't risk getting caught, though, and it's not like we have a lot of time on our side."

Two grumpy, buff guards greeted us inside the library. We knocked them out before they could notify any more knights about our intrusion. Once the two unconscious knights were thrown in the corner, like forgotten toys, we proceeded to investigate the room.

According to the Raven's map the library was once as big as the Mess Hall, now it's only the fraction of its original size. It's no wonder Eve and Raven suspected the kingdom to have a secret room built into here.

"We can try pulling books out to activate a secret door," Raven suggested.

"That's too easy. I doubt they'd hide your precious jewel in a stink old library anyways." Speka answered in an instant. It was puzzling to see Speka so against helping us to find the Shard. She knows it's crucial we have this Shard on our mission, yet she tries to do everything she can to make us leave without it.

"Then why are there guards here?" Raven challenged. Admittedly, Raven's comment had a good point.

"It _is_ unusual to have guards stationed inside the library," I narrowed my eyes at the knights tossed in the corner. "I understand having knights in the Mess Hall, you don't want people stealing food, but why the library?"

"Maybe because they don't want someone breaking in through here?" Speka deadpanned.

"It's a waste to leave two guards inside," Raven began pacing the room, sceptical eyes skimming over the towering bookshelves. "If they're afraid of someone breaking in through the library why not post guards outside the doors? That way it'll block the culprit's only access to the rest of the castle."

"Geez, you two are putting way too much thought into the guard's placements," Speka whined. "Can we just say the Shard isn't here and-"

Raven snapped his fingers together," the reason they put guards inside the Mess Hall is to stop anyone from going or breaking in to steal food." His comment made the gears in my head start turning.

"So the reason they'd put people inside the library is to stop someone from taking something important." I finished, adrenaline returning to my blood once more.

"They also don't keep any valuable books in here," Raven gestured to the mountains of books surrounding us. "You could argue they're trying to protect old literature and spell books, but it's not like they don't have spare copies in case something goes missing."

"Then the El Shard _must_ be here," I concluded with a squeal. Speka groaned at our hypothesis and rolled her eyes.

"We can't be certain this is where the Shard is held. If it is, chances are they've got it protected with a bunch of crazy spells." Raven's voice peaked with excitement.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"All we need now is a way to locate it," he turned his eyes on Speka. "Speka, you should know some way of detecting a protection spell, right?"

"Y-you can't be sure the Shard is protected by a spell." Speka's shoulders tensed up. She dropped her gaze to the floor.

"This kind of stuff is what Aisha does best. I-I'll mess up if I do it." Speka added under her breath.

 _Perhaps that is what has been bothering her. She feels she may lead to our failure as she is not as good as Aisha._

"I-I just can't do it!" Speka claimed assertively. "I-it's impossible."

"Impossible?! Speka, we don't have time-" I stopped Raven from continuing with a curt push back. The last thing we needed was a fight to break out in the middle of our mission.

"Speka," I began gently, taking Eun's speculation into consideration. Speka seemed to flinch at the sound of her name." You're the only one here who can detect a protection spell. We could care less if you aren't as good as Aisha." Speka's fists tightened around her staff at my response. "Please, we need your help. Only you can do this."

"I-I might screw up and alert a knight," she warned through closed teeth. "A-Aisha is better at spells than I am. W-with me you guys have a-a higher chance of failing."

"We'll figure something out if you do fail. Don't worry about it too much." Raven piped in. I could still hear the anger still bubbling through his voice, he thankfully kept his temper under control this, though. "Just worry about detecting and deactivating the protection spell; if there's one, to begin with."

"You can do this." I looked her dead in the eyes and nodded. "Aisha would want you to do the same thing." I knew it was a risky move to bring Aisha up again, but it may be our only chance of encouraging Speka from taking any action.

Speka looked like she wanted to punch me in the face _and_ break into tears. Luckily, instead of releasing her grief on me, the mention of her sister seemed to be enough to ease her anxiety. Taking a slow breath in, Speka rolled back her shoulders and fluttered her eyes shut. A lavender magic circle materialised under her feet as she softly chanted in an unknown language.

The shadow infested library hummed under Speka's mantra, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. Within the inky blanket of the night a faint purple light, emitted from the single fireplace present, shattered the darkness.

I glanced back at Speka. Her eyelids were pushed tightly together, sweat dotting her forehead. The magic circle glowing beneath her seemed to shine brighter with each word spoken.

She's trying even though she doubts her abilities, I thought with admiration. If Aisha was here she'd no doubt be beaming with pride.

 _You and Raven should be proud._ Eun said matter-of-factly. _She would not be trying this hard if you two did not voice your encouragement to her._

Admittedly, my cheeks warmed at Eun's comment. Before I could respond Speka snapped her eyes open and pointed her staff directly at the fireplace. A beam of violet light shot out from the end of her staff like a bullet, tackling head-first into the illuminating fireplace. Purple sparks flew out from between the fireplace and Speka's beam, the ground trembled under the strange spell's might.

Raven and I shot nervous glances at each other. If this kept up there's no doubt someone would wake up and investigate the commotion.

"I-I'm done," Speka grunted as she crumbled down onto her knees.

The violet light erected from Speka's staff broke into tiny, glowing particles. I looked back at the fireplace, half-expecting it to be left in pieces. Instead, I found the bed of coals still standing firm in its place, giving no signs that it was just hit with such a powerful beam of light.

"I-I found a spell protecting the fireplace." Speka gasped in between breaths. "I don't know why that was there, but i-it shouldn't be a problem now."

"That's great!" Raven was practically beaming at the news. "Good job, Speka. This makes our job _much_ easier."

"It's not that big of a deal." Speka scoffed, failing to hide the shade of pink complementing her cheeks. "Aisha would've done a better job than me."

Raven shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his deceased friend.

"R-Raven's right." I quickly added, not wanting the lightened mood to expire so soon. "You have no idea how much this helped us. Ai-w-we're proud of you." I placed a firm hand on her shoulder and smiled. I didn't want to risk mentioning Aisha again, she might not let my comment slide as easily the next time.

Speka's eyes widened for a moment, evidently shocked at the praises focused onto her. I know now that there's very little we can say to help soothe the wounds left by her sister's death, the only thing we can do now is to support and nourish the little self-worth she has left.

"W-whatever," Speka slapped my hand away and pulled herself back up, legs still trembling from her large exertion of energy. "Are we gonna investigate the fireplace or what?" She didn't wait for us to answer before approaching her target—Raven and I silently followed her lead.

My heart was practically jumping out of my chest as we encircled the eerily silent furnace. Whoever placed that spell on the hearth had full intentions of keeping outsiders away—or keeping something from escaping; I was mutely dreading this possibility.

"This looks like a normal fireplace," Raven noted, squatting down to get a better angle. "I don't see anything suspicious about its design."

"So I wasted my energy breaking a protection spell for nothing," Speak deadpanned. "Just great."

"Hold on, we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet." I chided my impatient group. "There wouldn't be a spell here for no reason."

"Maybe it's to throw nosy people off." Speka gestured to us. "C'mon, we shouldn't waste any more time looking for a damn Shard. If we stay any longer someone might catch us."

"No, there has to be more to this." I protested. Speka exhaled frustratingly. "Let's stay and investigate a bit longer. We might be overlooking something."

"I hate to admit it but Speka might be right." Raven's response made the dark mage narrow her eyes at him. "The trap might've been set up to throw thieves off. This fireplace is as plain as bread." Raven added, hammering his knuckle against the furnace.

That's when we heard it. The echoes of Raven's knock emanated from behind the fireplace. I held my breath and whispered Raven to knock on it again, once again the other side of the wall mirrored the sound.

Speka cursed under her breath while Raven and I locked eyes on one another. We spoke not a word to each other, our wide, excited eyes did the talking for us.

There was something behind the fireplace.

Without a second thought Raven shot up from his feet and began patting the furnace down, I mimicked his actions on the opposite end. Speka began complaining in the background but my buzzing ears couldn't make out what she was saying. All I could focus on was the mysterious space behind the furnace.

"Ara," Raven spoke up hastily. "Why don't we try pulling it?"

I bobbed my head and immediately pulled at the fireplace. Nothing happened. Raven took that as a queue to test his end, in an instant something clicked and the furnace swung outwards revealing a dark hole behind it. A ghostly breeze crawled out from the empty space, even with Chung's pendant on I felt shivers snake up my arms.

If Speka hadn't disengaged the spell I had no doubts something would've happened to us right now.

"Er, ladies first." Raven gestured to the dark gap.

I raised my brow at him before ducking down to enter the mysterious hole. Behind me I heard Raven mumbling something about watching too many horror films.

"Wow," I breathed once I was fully inside.

"W-what?" Raven sounded like a kid walking down a dark basement. "I-is there something bad inside?"

"No," I answered, standing up straight. "Unless you have something against books." He sighed of relief at my answer.

On the other side of the fireplace, resting in complete darkness, was the other half of the library. Much like its counterpart, this half was littered with towering bookshelves, dusty books and forgotten furniture.

 _I wonder what knowledge the people of Velder are trying to conceal._ Eun mused as Raven and Speka made their way inside.

"Tell me about it," I made my way to the nearest bookshelf and blew against the spines of ancient books. I regretted my decision almost instantly as a puff of dust exploded into my face.

"I don't think they'd hide the Shard in one of this dusty old books," Speka said, probably with an eye roll.

"I know," I coughed, waving away any lingering particles of dust. "It can't hurt to check, though."

"Eve would want to do the exact same thing if she were here." Raven chuckled. "Wait till she hears about this."

Once my coughing fit finally ended I scanned my eyes over the leather spines aligned on the shelf. Some of the books were written in an unknown language while others were labelled in messy, cursive writing.

" _Legend of Angels, Distortions in Time and Space; Maps and Guides to Secret Dungeons._ " I read out the some of the displayed titles with genuine interest.

No wonder this part of the library is hidden, some of the subjects here are just too bizarre to believe. Yet, as crazy and unreal as some of these books sound, no one bothered to destroy them; instead of keeping their nonsense alive within the castle walls.

 _Perhaps it is to keep the past culture alive._ Eun suggested. _Ancient books are the gateway to the past._

But what's the point in keeping them hidden? Wouldn't it be more reasonable to have them displayed in a museum for people to admire and remember past beliefs?

"Hey, Ara, can you help us out over here?" Raven snapped me out of my musing.

I lingered my eyes on the dusty bookshelf for an extra second before retreating toward the others. Speka and Raven were currently huddled around a cluster of wooden boxes, each of differing in size.

"Let's start looking before those two guards wake up again," Raven ordered.

Speak groaned at the given task but she didn't comment any further. We proceeded to pry open every chest in sight, hastily digging through its musky contents before moving to the next one. My hopes of finding the El Shard was continuously dimming with each empty chest we threw aside.

"Wow," Speka breathed, causing both Raven and me to perk our heads up at her direction. "I think I just found it."

"Lemme see," Raven threw aside his recently opened chest and rushed toward Speka.

'We sure made a mess in here.' I mused, scanning over the various books thrown haphazardly on the floor.

 _I doubt this will be the worst of our crimes._

Just as I was about to join Speka and Raven a particular book caught my eye. Within the pile of dust and forgotten knowledge was a single book scribbled with unknown letters. Its leatherbound cover was decorated with seven orbs (each one coloured differently) encircling three winged-women in the centre.

I quickly forgot about the potential El Shard resting in one of the chests and proceeded to the strange book.

 _Is something wrong?_ Eun inquired. I felt Eun's urge to join Raven and examine Speka's discovery.

"This book caught my eye," I answered truthfully. Blushing at how ridiculous my response sounded. Here we were, searching for one of the deadliest magical objects in existence, and I'm interested in a dusty old book.

I reached down and gingerly picked up the book, a part of me feared its worn pages would fall apart upon contact. I brushed my fingers against its dusty cover, revealing its shiny, golden text underneath.

'Eun, doesn't this book look kind of familiar?'

 _Familiar how?_

'I don't know. I just feel like I've seen this somewhere before.'

I opened to a random page. Much to my disappointment, the entire page was littered with the same unknown language. I flipped further in, hoping to come across an English translation. I momentarily stopped flipping when I came across a scribbled drawing of a navy blue monster. Whoever drew it made it nearly impossible to make out the details to the beast, all I could make out was its crimson red head and claws.

I shuttered at whoever had to witness such a beast and flipped to the next page. The following section had nothing but pictures, each one depicting a group of people and animals surrounding the seven orbs depicted on the cover. I squinted my eyes at the drawing, trying to draw out the details to the illustration. That's when it hit me. There was a reason why I found this book so familiar.

"The seven orbs represent El Shards." I whispered excitedly to myself. "Eun, I-I think we just might've found the book that explains the history and origins of the Shards."

 _I understand your joy for finding such a thing, but how can you expect to decipher it? Not even I know the language it is written in._

I didn't have time to think of an answer before a flash of white light blinded my vision. I gasp, tightening my grip on the El book. Stars dotted my vision once the light disappeared.

"Oops," I heard Speka squeak. "I should've known that the Shard would be trapped."

A steady creak resonated from the hole we entered from. I snapped my dazed eyes at our only entrance, horrified to see the fireplace moving to its original position on its own.

"Run!" Raven ordered.

I didn't need to be told twice to jump into action. Adrenaline was replacing my blood, my muscles soon forgot the meaning of fatigue. I cursed out loud as I nearly tripped on the many books left sprawled on the ground, I heard Speka and Raven mimicking my words several feet behind.

"Chain Fireball!" A line of blazing spheres rushed past me and toward the closing furnace. I felt my heart drop as the attacks crashed uselessly against the fireplace, erupting in puffs of smoke.

"We won't make it at this rate!" Raven exclaimed. "Speka, can't you perform another spell to deactivate the trap?!"

"It's not that simple when the trap is in an active state!" She shot back. "Besides, I don't have enough energy to pull off another stunt like that."

 _The Shard! Tell her to use the Shard!_

I quickly relayed the message to Speka. The mage protested at first, stating she might not be able to control the Shard's power. Raven and I wasted no time to remind her that controlling the Shard's power would be the least of her problems, especially when we're about to be locked in for stealing back the Shard; who knew if there were other traps waiting for us in here.

She sighed of defeat and proceeded to chant, filling the room with the Shard's resonating energy. My head started to spin as there was only a slit of light left of our exit, my nerves were going haywire at the possible threats waiting for us once we were locked in. The whole castle convulsed when a burst of light shot out from the mage and into the fireplace. In an instant the furnace burst into tiny pieces, leaving behind a puff of smoke and dust.

Though our only threat was now eliminated none of us dared to slow our pace, fearing another trap will take its place. We burst out from the tiny exit, gasping for air. I fell onto my knees, muscles shaking from the remaining fear left in my system.

Before any of us could catch our breaths and calm down, a herd of knights, most of whom were still in their sleeping garments, came charging into the library. Leading the troop was none other than Vanessa. She narrowed her eyes at us, her glare chilly me down to the bone. The knights behind muttered amongst themselves, trying to understand why they were sent here to face us.

I was beyond terrified at this point, feeling like a weak baby deer trapped within a circle of hungry lions. I didn't know how I mustered enough strength to keep myself up on my feet.

"I knew your team was nothing but trouble." She drew her weapon and pointed its blade at Speka. "Capture them alive and get that jewel!" No one dared to question her order.

With a roar, the knights began charging toward us. Raven and I readied our weapons and pressed ourselves closer together. We both knew fighting was the only option, but neither of we wanted to hurt the knights. Our mission was to defeat the demon army and bring peace to Elrois, not hurt and potentially kill our fellow knights.

"Screw it!" Speka shakily stepped forward, the El Shard pointed directly at the incoming mob.

Vanessa's jaw dropped at the Shard, she opened her mouth to say something but it was already too late. Speka released the El Shard's fury onto her troops before she could order them to back down. A buffet of wind raged in the tiny room, forcing the knights to the opposite end of the room and dragging books and pages out from their respective shelves. My heart dropped as several knights' armour burst under the Shard's might, their bodies now burned with crimson cuts.

She might kill someone if this keeps up.

"We need to leave _now_!" I commanded. "Speka, use the wind to clear the exit and launch us out of here!"

"What?! B-but I don't know how!" Speka gripped her hair tightly. "I-I only know how to use this thing to fight. W-what if I screw up and hurt us?"

"Just treat the Shard's energy like an extension of your own power. As long as you _keep calm_ you'll be fine." I explained in haste. "Now hurry up and use it!"

If Speka didn't like taking orders from me she thankfully didn't show it. Instead of complaining, like I half-expected her to, she directed the wind at the remaining knights, forcing them apart like a set of doors.

"Cannon Blade!" Raven shot a fireball directly at the window opposite the library doors. His attack shattered the glass in an instant, sending translucent shards flying free from their confines. "Speka, launch us out the window and over the castle wall!"

"R-right." Speka raised the Shard over her head, the small jewel filled the messy library with an aqua-green light.

Vanessa shot up to her feet and charged toward us, her eyes crazed with anger.

"Speka, you might want to hurry!" I absentmindedly inched closer to her. "We have company!" Raven cursed and focused his attention on the incoming knight.

"Come and face me, you cowards!" Vanessa leapt into the air, her blade directly above Speka.

Raven and I both readied to counter her assault, but just before Vanessa could execute her attack an invisible force kicked us off our feet propelled us forward. The world flashed by my eyes as the Shard's strong yet gentle wind shot us out the shattered window and into the diamond infested night sky.


	19. The Escape Part 2

"I can't believe they gave us less food today."

"Tell me about it, and these people dare to call themselves knights. Back in my day knights protected the people, gave up their lives for us. Now they leave us out here in the cold to starve and die!"

Raven, Speka and I shifted closer together as the old survivors continued to rant about their living conditions; we were uncomfortable with their comments, to say the least. After barely escaping the clutches of Vanessa we snuck into the survivor camp and huddled with the small group. We desperately needed to take a small break before engaging in any more combat.

"How are you two feeling?" I asked in a soft whisper.

"Fine. I'm just a bit cold." Raven admitted, adjusting the hood on his head.

"Just a b-bit?" Speka quoted incredulously, teeth were clattering noisily against each other. "I-I can't even feel my fingers."

"We shouldn't stay here for long." Raven breathed. "They're gonna start sending people out to look for us."

"Yeah, we should get moving now." I agreed.

Raven and I were just about to pick up our belongings and slip away when Speka hastily gestured us to stay put," look," she motioned her head at a pair of approaching guards.

Cursing at their timing I slumped down on the spot and bowed my head, Raven and Speka followed my lead.

"Hey, are we gonna be getting any more food?" One of the civilians called out beside us.

"Sorry, but we can't afford to give out any extra food." A guard answered flatly. He no doubt gave the exact same answer to other survivors. "Especially since someone recently broke into the kitchen and stole a bunch of our supplies."

Curses and cries emanated from the hungry crowd. I wrapped my arms around myself, digging my nails into the fabric of my sleeves.

I didn't think the news would spread so quickly.

"We suspect the thieves are still around."

"What?!" A woman shrieked. "S-so you're saying they could come to our camp?"

"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll be sending more guards shortly to keep you safe. For now, keep an eye out for any suspicious figures."

I could feel several eyes boring into our group. It wasn't easy convincing the fellow survivors that we had just come back from a bathroom break. Though no one questioned our legitimacy before I had a distinct feeling that doubt was returning to their consciousness.

"Damn, we shouldn't have rested here," Raven spoke through clenched teeth. "We gotta leave as soon as we can."

"Just calm down," Speka chided coolly. "We'll think of something once those two knuckleheads are gone."

"Hey, you three!" Raven, Speka and I tensed at the booming voice. "Where did you get those backpacks from?"

I could only hear my own heartbeat at this point. Sucking in a deep breath, I wiggled my hand into my sleeve until my fingers found its way around the handle of the kitchen knife.

"We were tourists before the invasion happened," Raven answered coolly, deliberately deepening the tone of his voice. "These backpacks contain all that we have left."

I was ready for the guards to call his bluff. The grip I had on my knife strengthened as I mentally prepared myself to jump and attack. Speka chanted something under her breath, I could only assume she too was preparing herself to attack.

"I'm...glad you still have something left." The guard answered uneasily. "Er, I'm sorry that I asked, sir."

Raven grinned under his dark hood," it's fine." His voice resonating solemnly.

Without another word, the guards marched away. Once I was sure they were out of earshot I let out a breath of relief," that was way too close." I sighed.

"I'm surprised you can lie so well," Speka said, rolling back her shoulders. "I wish I could lie like that."

"It's not something to be proud of," Raven responded tightly. "Back to the problem at hand, we need to find a way out fast. The guards they'll send out might be able to recognise us, we won't get _this_ lucky again."

"Damn, I'm still trying to relax from earlier too," Speka said with a yawn.

"You can relax all you want after we get away from this city." Raven snapped, clearly getting annoyed with her constant whining.

"We should try not to draw any suspicions to ourselves amongst the civilians on the way out," I said, ignoring the tension between my two teammates. I cleared my throat loudly, making sure the people around us could hear," can we sleep somewhere with fewer people? It's too cramped here."

Raven quickly caught onto my act and played along," fine." He forced out an annoyed sigh.

Our small group shuffled onto our feet and began navigating through the tiny camp, making sure to walk on the balls of our feet in order to remain stealthy. Since we were all clad in dark clothing it wouldn't be hard for us to slip into the shadows and make our exit. We were approaching the border of the tiny camp, I could already taste the sweet relief of freedom. The two guards from before marched several feet ahead of us, in turn, we slouched down and slowed our pace. We couldn't risk drawing their attention, not after we came this far.

"Hey, didn't the girl with purple hair look sorta familiar?" The second guard asked his partner.

"Everyone here looks familiar, man." His partner deadpanned.

"No, I swear I saw her somewhere in the castle." That caused his friend to stop in his tracks. I swallowed down a gasp and promptly stopped moving, Raven and Speka mirrored my response.

"You're kidding, right?" His friend forced out a chuckle, clearly uncomfortable with the newly presented information.

"Plus, I don't remember seeing those three around for as long as I've been patrolling here."

"Y'know, now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing them around until today."

Speka cursed under her breath. I hastily slapped her arm to keep her quiet.

"Didn't one of the guards say the thieves were in a group of three?"

"Yeah...and they were in civilian clothing too."

At that moment, I didn't realise a woman nearby was also listening in to their conversation, I also failed to see that she had a full view of us despite our dark attire. The world came crashing down on me when a high-pitched scream ripped through the calming silence, every head turned toward the noise. A slender woman shot up from the ground and pointed her bony finger at us.

"I-is it them!?" Both the guards' turned their eyes on us. Though I doubt they could see us well I knew we were no longer safe.

"Speka, the Shard!" I commanded, drawing out the knife out my sleeve.

Screams erupted from the crowd as Raven and I openly drew our weapons. Even if the two guards wanted to attack us then and there, they were unable to. The crowd was now in hysteria. People pushed and tackled one another in attempts to escape from the supposed danger, overwhelming the two Red Knights.

Speka unleashed a gale of wind underneath us, stirring up a wall of dust. "Let's go!" She cried, stuffing the Shard back in her pocket.

With a blink of an eye we took off into the night, curses and cries of anger sounded just behind us. Raven, being the only one who knew the ruined city well, led us through the ruined streets of his former home. We were all out of breath and aching from the continuous sprint, eventually, we wandered into an alleyway to catch our breaths.

"We can't afford to remain here for long," Raven said in between heavy breaths. "By now the entire castle may be out looking for us."

"Great, as if we don't have enough enemies." Speka sank to her knees, wheezing in as much air as she could.

I leant against a brick wall, muscles and lungs burning from my continuous sprint. Admittedly, a part of me wished we didn't take on this mission with all the trouble we've been getting ourselves into.

I wonder if Chung and the others are doing better than we are, I mused. I hope they've already found themselves a boat. If not we could all be in for a load of trouble.

My body instantly forgot about its fatigue upon catching a glimpse of the amber light sparking to life to my right. I didn't think twice to duck, barely missing the fireball rocketing down toward the destroyed road.

"Mages," I growled, locking my attention in the direction that fireball came from. A single mage, riding on their levitating staff, was headed straight toward us. I had no doubt other mages were lingering nearby.

Speka leapt up from her spot and pointed her open palm at the approaching mage. Five glaring laser beams shot out from each her fingers. The unfortunate mage had little to no time to counter the attack. I shrieked as the laser penetrated the knight's body, throwing them off their staff and onto the concrete ground.

"Speka, we're not trying to kill them!" I narrowed my eyes at her before returning my gaze on the motionless mage.

"Oh calm down," she snorted. "I made sure not to use my full power."

"Quiet, you two," Raven interjected. "It's bad enough we have _flying_ mages on our tail, we don't need you two drawing any more attention to us."

Speka and I both muttered a half-hearted apology.

Raven shook his head, like a disappointed father, but didn't press further," we can discuss this another time, right now we need to leave."

"W-why? We'll be spotted by the mages." I gestured to our unconscious foe.

"It's better than staying here and doing nothing," Raven replied in an instant. "Just stay close and don't stop running."

I wanted to protest and come up with another plan, something that would keep us from engaging in another fight. Before I could reply Eun silenced my voice.

 _We are running on a limited time, Ara._ It reminded me with a stern growl. _Chung and the others are waiting for us. We cannot afford to take it slow, even if it is at the cost of our stealth._

'But-'

 _There is no time for arguing! We need to keep moving if we wish to leave before the sun rises._

"Fine," I snorted, still feeling unsatisfied with the plan. "We'll keep moving."

Without another word, we took off to the streets again. Within minutes we were tailed by two mages. Speka, thankfully, pulled out the Wind Shard to blow them away instead of shooting them with lasers.

"There they are!" A voice sounded to our right.

I glanced to the side, to my horror I witnessed a group of five charging in our direction. Speka raised the Shard, readying to blow the group away when something hit her from behind. She screamed, falling face first onto the road. Raven and I immediately came to a skimming stop, cursing at the additional three mages enclosing us from behind.

I glanced down at the tiny knife knitted between my fingers, suddenly its sharp blade didn't feel so threatening anymore.

"Take down the black-haired girl! Vanessa said she's the biggest threat!"

Before I knew it eight fireballs were summoned toward me. I called on Eun's power just in time to dodge the amber attacks. The mages gasped at my new appearance, Raven took that chance to counterattack.

Raven leapt into the air, eyes focused on the three mages behind us," Shockwave - Cutter!" He slashed his sword forward three times, generating a blue shockwave to his respective targets.

The trio of mages barely had time to defend themselves, thus taking the attack head on and falling from the staffs.

Raven's successful hit left the remaining five mages bitter. In no time they were gliding through the air in all directions, launching as many spells as they could on us. While Raven and I could easily thread around the colourful spells, Speka had a bit more trouble. She was still feeling the effects of the previous attacks, as a result, her movements were left sluggish.

"The Dark Mage is weak!" One of the mages excitedly proclaimed.

I drew my full attention on Speka. She had her head clutched in her free hand, groaning from the aftermath of her faceplant, completely oblivious to the mage swooping down toward her.

I wasted little to no time and beelined to my disoriented friend. The mage pointed their open palms at Speka, I could only assume they were readying to summon a spell at her. I exerted as much energy as I could from myself and Eun to sprint faster.

"Look out!" I screamed, tackling Speka down just barely in time to avoid a pillar of fire. I grit my teeth at the sizzling heat skimming past my back. Speka, on the other hand, gasped in horror at the attack she almost had to take.

Once the blistering fire was gone I shot to my feet, growling at the mage desperately attempting to escape back into the sky. Here we were trying to avoid seriously injuring our fellow knights, yet they attacked us like we were demons.

"You're not getting away with what you just did!" I dashed toward the mage and rocketed myself up.

"Tiger Claw!" I swiped my claws against the mage's stomach, still feeling guilt-ridden for inflicting pain on another human being. Although my attack was not enough to kill my target it did enough to push them off their staff and plummet back onto the ground.

Eun momentarily took over to chase after the fallen staff several feet away from its owner. Without a moment of hesitation, Eun picked up the discarded weapon before retreating back to Speka.

"Y-you saved me." Speka was now up on her feet, her scratched face still pale from shock.

"Ara did not wish to lose another...team mate," Eun answered flatly. Speka shifted uncomfortably at the sound of Eun's voice.

"Y-you must be the demon, huh?" Speka's voice resonated with hatred accompanied with a hint of guilt." You wouldn't happen to remember all that stuff I said about demons...right?"

Eun narrowed its eyes," we do not have time to discuss your narrow-minded view of my kind." Speka flinched at Eun's hardened words. "Dark mage, I have a question to ask you—"Eun held up the defeated mage's staff"—can you destroy the enemy weapons with the Shard?"

Speka's eyes seemed to light up at Eun's request," of course!" She gently facepalmed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Eun nodded at her answer and laid the enemy staff down on the ground. Speka took a deep breath in and held the Shard over her head. With a burst of energy, eight aqua-green green arrows shot out from the Shard and travelled to its respective targets, shattering the enemy staffs the instant it made contact.

The remaining mages shrieked at their broken staffs and crumbled back down like rocks. Eun gave me control once the last staff was broken.

Raven took action immediately and made sure to knock out every mage he came across. By the end, the street was littered with fragments of broken staffs and knocked out knights.

At least we didn't kill anyone—though it was _really_ tempting too, especially when they were trying to kill us.

"We're almost there," Raven informed us once we returned to his side. "Let's get moving."

Speka and I bobbed our heads and followed his lead. Speka stuffed her hands into her pockets, slumping like a child walking to the principle's office.

"Is something wrong?" I asked Speka.

"No," Speka turned her head away from me. "...t-thanks for saving me." She whispered in a barely audible voice.

I smiled, turning my head forward again," I'm glad I got to you in time."

"...Why do you have to be so nice?" Speka muttered grimly to herself. "It makes it really hard to hate you."

* * *

I knew something was wrong when we neared a brick clock tower. We have been sneaking through the ghostly city for what felt like hours, all of us equally as tired from the previous fight and endless wandering. Raven suggested we take a quick break by the tower before we all drop dead from exhaustion. When we approached the structure, however, we noticed several figures already occupying the space. At first, we thought it was more guards, but upon closer inspection, we realised it was the remainder of our team.

"Hey!" Raven decided to call out to them.

The group tensed at his voice but visibly relaxed once we revealed ourselves from the shadows.

"I thought we were caught again," Elsword sighed, lowering his twin swords.

We wordlessly joined the remainder of our team beside the brick structure. While my group was fatigued from our continuous walking and small fights, Elsword's group looked like they just went up against an army of demons. Sweat drenched glistened on their bruised faces, tangled hair sticking out like a porcupine.

"What happened?" I asked, taking a seat beside Chung.

"We arrived at the port as planned," Eve explained with Amos curled asleep in her arms. "However, we greatly underestimated the number of guards patrolling the vicinity."

"Elsword had the great idea of continuing with the plan rather than wait for you guys to arrive." Chung narrowed his eyes on the leader.

Elsword snorted," I thought we'd be able to take them on."

"You overestimated our abilities," Chung snapped.

Elsword flared his nose," what did you think I was gonna do? Sit around and wait for the rest of our team to join us? Waste our time hiding instead of scouting for a boat?"

"It would've been better than sneaking in there blindly." Chung pounded his closed fist on the ground. "We almost got ourselves killed because you were impatient."

"Impatient?!" Elsword repeated incredulously. "I was being-"

"Enough of this nonsense." Eve chided, Amos was now fully awake in her grasp. "Do you two wish for a passing knight to hear you?"

The guys muttered curses under their breaths before falling silent. No one dared to speak another word afterwards, fearing to break the fragile truce between Elsword and Chung.

 _We cannot stay here forever._ Eun reminded me. _I suggest we move now._

'We can't just go now.' I darted my eyes between Chung and Elsword. Though their mouths remained shut I could still see the anger residing in their hardened eyes. 'These two need some time to cool down.'

 _We do not have the luxury of calming down._ Eun growled with frustration. _I am disappointed at the irresponsible mess your leader has turned into._

'It's not his fault-'

 _I do not wish to discuss this any further. Right now I need you to lead your team to our final destination._

It was hard for me to keep a straight face at Eun's command.

 _Elsword is incapable of leading your group as of now._ Eun went on, ignoring my shock at its request. _However, that is not an excuse for us to sit out here like ducks. We need to move now._

'Eun, I can't lead them! I barely managed to get them to go along with this plan, to begin with. How can you expect me to order them around?'

 _Until Elsword regains his confidence and maturity as a leader you will have to do. This was your idea after all._

I wanted to remind Eun that _this_ was very much its idea too, but I held back as I knew what Eun was trying to say. Our team is far from perfect after the events in Feita. We would never be in this position if I never brought up the idea of resuming our mission. This was my fault and now I had to take charge; at least until Elsword is up to the task again.

"Guys, w-we can't stay here for long." I mentally cursed at my weak, trembling voice. "T-this isn't time for us to fight each other."

"He started it," Elsword pointed at Chung.

"I don't care who started it," I spoke up before Chung could. "W-we managed to steal the El Shard back, escape the castle and evade the patrolling knights in order to come here. All o-of that will be for nothing if we get caught now."

"How cheesy," Speka said with an eye roll.

Ignoring her comment I forced myself to press on," you guys were unable to deal with the port knights due to their numbers. Now we have a full team, we're more than c-capable of fighting them."

"There's a lot of them, Ara," Chung warned softly. "We'll still be outnumbered."

"So?" I was grateful my voice remained steady. "We've dealt with a lot worse before."

Before anyone could respond the sound of crunching gravel sounded somewhere nearby. I perked my head up at the noise, estimating our intruder to be several feet away. Due to the Vigor Potion's effect, my friends also heard the noise. Without another word, they gathered their things and got up.

"What are you planning?" Chung asked in a whisper, handing my spear back to me. I happily took my spear back nad discarded the tiny kitchen knife on the ground.

"First I suggest we start heading to the port," my anxiety over leading my team diminished somewhat as my weapon returned to my hand.

Elsword and Raven wordlessly started jogging to our target destination. The rest of us followed shortly behind.

"I would imagine there will be more guards around the port now that they've encountered intruders." I mused out loud. "We may need a distraction to draw some guards away."

"I approve of your idea," Eve nodded. "What are you planning?"

"We're not gonna have someone acting as bait if that's what you're thinking," Elsword chimed in before I could say a single word.

I scowled at his remark. I might not be the most experienced leader but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot.

"Er...I'll need to know what we'll be dealing with first," I responded sheepishly.

To be completely honest I didn't have any plan in mind, my sleep-deprived brain was all out of ideas. It amazes me how often Elsword can think of an attack plan on the spot. He made the task seem so easy.

The smell of sea salt flooded my nose as soon as the port came into view. Chung wasn't kidding when he said there would be a lot of knights. We were currently hiding within the remains of a small gift shop, peering out one of the shattered windows. Knights, at least ten of them, were posted at the entrance of the port. I couldn't imagine how many knights would be waiting for us on the inside.

"Damn, they have more knights out there now." Chung sucked a sharp breath in.

I examined the buildings by the port, noting the mages situated on several rooftops. It makes me grateful that they couldn't see well in the pitch blackness like we could.

"Great, it's impossible to break in." Elsword crossed his arms. "Now what?"

"I could blast them all with the El Shard." Speka suggested with a mischievous smile.

"We're not trying to kill anyone, Speka." Raven reminded her sternly.

"Who says anything about killing?"

I tuned out the extra noise from my team and urged myself to think.

The easy route would be to blast everyone away like Speka said. The only problem is the chances of accidentally killing a knight. Even if the Shard isn't used for killing its raw power might be enough to unintentionally end an innocent life.

"What if we use the El Shard to sweep the front guards away?" Elsword began slowly.

"The Shard's intense power might kill them," I warned.

"I'm not suggesting we use the Shard to blast the guards, just summon a current of wind to blow them away. The sudden disappearance of the guards will no doubt shock the knights inside. We use that chance to catch them off guard and attack."

A new idea stirred in my head," I was thinking we could also use the Shard to help us find our boat." Elsword arched his brow at my idea. I quickly elaborated," whoever is using the Shard can use it to fly and scout out the area for a boat while the others fight."

"That's not a bad idea," Elsword smiled. "Y-you don't have to listen to my suggestion, by the way. If you have anything better-"

"Your plan is perfect," I cut him off. He seemed genuinely surprised at my answer. Even if Elsword wasn't the best person to be leading us right now, he still has more experience as a leader than me. I trust his ideas more than mine.

I turned my attention to the rest of the group and recited our plan. There were a few doubts about our success rate at such an attack at first, especially since we were, without a question, going to be out-numbered. Once I made it clear this was our best and fastest chance at escaping the group reluctantly obliged.

"I have one improvement for the plan, though," Speka said once even gave their approval. "Can you handle the El Shard instead of me?"

"What? W-why do you want me to use it?" I asked as she gingerly took out the Wind Shard from her pocket.

"I-I don't think I should be using it at a time like this." She practically hurled it into my hands. "We can't risk losing now."

"Speka you-"

"She's right," Raven cut me off shortly. "You have the most experience with the Shard out of all of us. You should be the one who's using it." I looked at Speka who responded by turning her head the other way.

I bit down on my tongue and nodded. Though a part of me still wanted to let Speka keep using the Shard, especially since she showed excellent control of its power, I knew Raven had a point. I knew how to use the Wind Shard best.

"I need everyone to be ready to charge," I ordered, eyes scanning our targets one last time.

"Eve, stay close to me and don't engage in the battle too much." I heard Raven whispering to the Nasod Queen.

"I understand," Eve answered. "I will protect Amos with my life."

 _Remember to stay calm._ Eun breathed gently. _The Shard's power will not wreck havoc if you remain collected._

I thanked Eun for the reminder. With the Shard firmly in hand, I stretched my arm toward the entrance of the port. I held my breath and focused my energy on the Shard, with a snap of a finger the Shard pulsated to life. The sudden pulse of energy visibly affected the knights, the moment their eyes locked onto my glowing palm I fired.

Like a hawk swooping down to capture its prey, a buffet of wind soared out from the Shard and toward the knights. Dust and debris became airborne with the knights. I forcefully swung my arm to the side, in turn, the wind catapulted its victims to the same direction.

The instant the guards were out of the way my team burst out from our hiding spot and charged toward the port. I enchanted my team with the Shard's power before flying after them.

"Remember we aren't here to kill!" Elsword bellowed as we successfully infiltrated the port.

My team was assaulted with knights and magical spells the instant they entered. Knowing they'll be safe during the fight I separated from the group and began surveying the area from the sky. If the demons never attacked I would imagine the port would be much bigger than it was now. At least a quarter of its wooden walkways were sunken into the salty seawater, all her colossal battleships half buried in the ocean's wrath.

The problem now was not the mages that would occasionally engage in battle with me, I easily shattered their staff and repelled them into the water, but the lack of boats present at the port.

Needless to say, I began to panic. I would've dropped out from the sky if Eun hadn't confided and urged me to keep looking. By now my blood was cold as ice and I could barely keep the Shard's power under control.

We've lost; I couldn't help but think. There's nowhere we can run to now. We'll be charged as criminals once Vanessa and the other knights get their hands on us. Eloris will fall under Scarlet's unstoppable army.

The wind keeping me airborne faltered along in response to my doubts. I shrieked, barely able to keep myself up. Luckily my team was too busy with their fight to notice my distress.

 _There has to be a boat somewhere._ Even Eun was starting to sound panicked. I admired its will to keep me optimistic.

"There's nothing here, Eun." I was on the verge of tears. "I-I can't see anything that will help us cross the ocean."

 _I-I do not care if we need to stay afloat on a single piece of wood, we will get out of here and resume our mission!_

Crossing the ocean on a tiny fishing boat already sounded bad enough, I didn't think it could get any worse until hearing Eun's suggestion. Just as I was ready to return to my team and break the news to them something connected in the back of my head.

I remembered seeing the mysterious author in my room and the distinct salty scent that clung onto her. Now that I think about it, she smelled exactly like the ocean.

"She brought with her a sea map from Velder to Hamel," I mumbled to myself; blood pounding at the tiny puzzle pieces slowly coming together. "It seems like she knew we would be heading to Hamel next or she wanted us to go there. If that's the case…"

Instead of looking for a boat from a bird's eye view I lowered myself until I was meters above the ocean's surface, then I began looking again. I searched within the sunken remains of the port then the battleships. It wasn't until I peeked under the walkways where I found a single fishing boat tied to one of the pillars holding up the wooden flooring.

I squealed with excitement and practically dove under to retrieve it. Mustering all the strength I had left I pulled the boat out from its hiding spot and back into the light. Dread twisted my stomach at the single blood-stained letter left inside the boat.

 _"_ _For you. I went through a lot of trouble to get this here. Please try to keep it in one piece."_

I noted how messy the writing was compared to the letters I usually got. I brushed it off as the author rushing to finish writing. I hastily tied the boat to a rusted bollard and dropped my heavy backpack down. Once sure the boat wouldn't drift away I rose higher into the air, readying to call for my team when I caught a glimpse of what was headed our way.

Most, if not all, the knight of Velder Castle was now charging to the Port. Leading the army was the Red Knight Captains.

I cursed," a mage must have slipped out to call for backup."

 _I estimate we only have mere minutes before the army arrives._

I wasted little to no time to hover over the fight raging between my friends and guards. I cast the knights encircling my friends away with a buffet of wind," we need to go _now!_ " Even I could hear the fear ringing from my voice. "Someone slipped out and warned the castle. We have an entire army approaching the port!"

Everyone's eyes seemed to bulge at the news, Amos snuggled his head into Eve's shoulder and burst out crying. I pointed my finger at our only escape," go now!"

Despite the fatigue now plaguing every inch of my team's body, they sprinted with everything they had to the boat.

A sizzling, hot pain ripped across my back just as I was about to follow my team. Before I knew it the ground had rushed up to meet my face, both the Shard and my spear rolled out of my grasp.

"Restrain her!"

Several hands pressed me against the wooden flooring. I howled in pain as someone mindlessly pressed against my open wound, and to think we were kind enough to not kill them. I snarled at their restraint and fought back with Eun's power. The knights quickly realised my demonic strength and called for help, it wasn't long before Eun and I could barely twitch a single muscle.

I heard Chung calling for my name, Raven cursed once realising what was happening.

"Go!" I screamed, fighting back every urge to cry for help. I obviously didn't want to be left behind, but I also didn't want them to be captured along with me.

I squeezed my burning eyes shut, pounding footsteps now shook the wooden flooring beneath me. The reinforcements have arrived, it's over for me now.

 _We failed._ Eun spat angrily.

'We haven't failed yet,' I reminded Eun in an instant. 'Our team successfully escaped. They can still complete this mission without us.' Those last two words stung worse than acid. I relaxed my legs and arms, ready to embrace whatever punishment Vanessa had in store for me.

"Pull back! Pull back!" Vanessa's panicked voice ordered.

I snapped my eyes open just in time to see the knights restraining me fly back with a burst of wind. Speka, with wide eyes and trembling legs, had the glowing El Shard firmly in hand. She let out a weak whimper, her face draining of all colour. She was clearly shaken up by the army's arrival. In her current state, I can't imagine the Shard's power was too forgiving on the knights.

I scrambled to my legs, ignoring the searing pain on my back, and sprinted toward Speka. I hastily picked up my spear along the way before practically dragging a paralysed Speka back to the boat. One of the captains ordered mages to fire spells at us while swordsmen retrieve us from the boat.

Eve and Raven quickly helped Speka and me onto the boat while Chung focused on protecting us from the incoming spells.

"Raven, c-cut the rope," I said in between gasps of air.

"I-it wouldn't matter. This boat won't get us out of here in time!"

"J-just...trust me!"

He unsheathed his sword and sliced it down on the rope, our boat was now free to leave. The swordsmen were ten feet away from us now, each one readying their weapons to confront us. Elsword cursed and prepared his swords. Before he could jump out of the boat to attack I snatched the El Shard from Speka's stiff hands and aimed it at the knights.

"W-we won," I smirked.

The Shard warmed in my hand as if reassuring me of our success before releasing a surge of wind. The gale pushed the approaching knights back just as they could reach us, in turn, the wind propelled our boat safely out of Velder's borders.


	20. Hamel

**No second chapter after this because it's not finished it. I totally didn't spend all my time watching a 200 video series instead of writing...pls dont judge :P**

 **#RIPMianiteS3**

For the past week or so all I could smell was salt, all I could taste was salt. Our food was quickly diminishing and we recently resorted to hunting for fish. Yes, you heard that right. Hunting for fish. Since we did not have a fishing rod we were forced to take turns diving down into the ocean (with the Wind Shard's help) to look for fish. Speka would offer to cook the fish with the help of her fireballs. Luckily our water supply was still doing quite well.

If I had known we'd be trapped on a tiny, floating piece of wood for days on end would I have been so adamant to escape? The dirty survivor's camp in Velder didn't sound so awful anymore.

"I spy with my little eye something that's...pink!" Amos has desperately been trying to keep himself entertained throughout the boring day. Though his childish games annoyed me at first I soon found myself engaged in his activities. The others had the same thing in mind.

"Pink?" Elsword perked up at the new colour. Usually, Amos would list out as many shades of blue as he could.

"The sky," Eve pointed to the twilight stretching over our heads.

"Yup!" Amos clapped enthusiastically.

"Wow, it's been that long already?" Elsword tilted his head back to gaze up at the heavens. "Another day wasted at sea."

"Chung, are you positive you know where you are going?" Eve asked.

Chung, who was standing at the front of the boat, bobbed his head," we'll be there soon."

"You said that three days ago," I groaned.

"We're even closer now," he added as if it should make me feel better. "It won't be too long now."

"We should start hunting soon," Raven said, digging the El Shard out of his pocket. "I went this morning; who wants to go next?"

"Elsword should go," Speka suggested with a bored expression.

"What?! Why me?" He glared at the mage. "Why don't you go?"

"I already went yesterday night." She said matter-of-factly. "Besides, every time we need to hunt you always seem to be asleep. It's rare for you to be awake at this hour." Elsword's face dropped in horror as Speka smirked. "Since it's so rare for you to be awake to hunt why don't you do it?"

"W-well Chung never goes hunting either!"

"That's because he's in charge of navigation." Raven reminded him flatly. "Stop complaining and go get us some dinner." He practically shoved the Shard into Elsword's hand.

Elsword grumbled angrily under his breath before diving down into the salty water, intentionally splashing us with salty droplets before diving under. Speka chuckled at his behaviour and rolled her eyes," he wouldn't last a day without our help."

Raven grinned," tell me about it."

Speka is seemingly doing better now. When we first started our journey across the sea she kept to herself and barely talked to any of us; I could only imagine she was beating herself up for severely injuring Velder knights with the El Shard while trying to save me. It wasn't until Amos forced her to play games with him that she started to open up again; in fact, none of us talked like we used to until we were all dragged into Amos' games. Though Speka was still reserved and possibly guilt-ridden it was warming to see her laughing and talking with us again.

"Eve, it's your turn now." Amos reminded the Nasod Queen.

Eve smiled and patted his head," thank you for reminding me. Now I spy with my little eye…"

Elsword returned with dinner shortly after the sky turned dark. Even though the day has officially ended and dinner was served throughout the group, Chung continued to navigate through the inky sea. How he isn't getting lost is beyond me. While Chung maintained his position at the head of the boat the rest of us huddled around Speka's burning staff. It was nice of her to keep the team warm each and every night during dinner.

"We're completely out of apples," Eve announced with a frown.

"At least we still have a couple oranges left," I said, relieved that we still had something other than fish.

"Man, it makes me wonder what's happening at Velder." Elsword thought out loud as he took a bite out of his share of meat. "Hope Elesis isn't too mad with what we've done."

The water beneath our boat sloshed continuously, our small wooden boat bobbed along to its never-ending rhythm.

"Let's face it, Elsword." Speka replied in a defeated tone. "We're criminals now. They probably have a bounty on us already."

"I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Velder mages teleported to Hamel and informed them about us," Raven added.

Elsword burst out laughing. Speka raised her brow at his unusual reaction," what's so funny?" She asked.

"S-sorry," he wiped a single tear out of his eye. "I just find it funny how one minute we're a bunch of heroes and the next we're fugitives."

"Fugitives?" Amos looked absolutely horrified at Elsword's claim. "I-I thought we were the good guys." The young Ponggo shot his two guardians a confused look.

"We still are the good guys, kiddo," Raven reassured, ruffling the top of his head. "It's just we had to take some extreme measures to get here."

"I know you guys had to...steal food and fight your friends. I-I just didn't think they'd label us as bad guys since we didn't kill anyone." Amos' fluffy ears drooped.

"It does not matter how the knights perceive our actions, Amos." Eve wrapped her gentle, motherly arm around Amos. "As long as we stay true to ourselves and the purpose of our mission we do not need to worry about our image in the eyes of others."

"It still stinks that they see us as bad guys," Amos mumbled, curling into Eve's side.

"That's just life, kiddo." Raven piped in. "Not everyone will approve of what you're doing. In other words, you'll always be the bad guy to someone else."

Amos didn't respond but I could see Raven's message eased some tension in him. Amos fluttered his eyes shut and snuggled closer to Eve. We ate the remainder of our meal in peace, nothing but the crackling fire and moving water to keep our ears occupied.

"So, Ara, I've been meaning to ask," Elsword spoke once everyone was well-fed and ready to retire for the night.

"Yes?" I had a gut feeling of what he wanted to say.

Elsword turned his head toward the horizon and in a whisper, he asked," why _did_ you make friends with an enemy demon?"

Speka's shoulders tensed, her eyes seemingly fixed permanently on the flame dancing at the end of her staff. Eve and Raven shifted closer to one another while Chung said not a peep, though I knew he was listening to every word.

I let out a slow breath and tilted my head up. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, the ancient diamonds in the sky shined their brightest. I pictured all the friends and allies we've lost dancing among the thousands of twinkling lights. At least in death, they could find eternal peace.

 _Are you okay?_ Eun asked gently.

'Yeah.' I answered, still transfixed by the night's beauty. 'I knew someone was going to ask at one point. I just wasn't ready to remember all the friends we lost.'

 _You do not have to tell them if you are not ready._

'Eun, when will I ever be ready? Besides, if I want to earn their complete trust I'll need to be transparent with them.' I shuddered at the thought of revealing _everything_ to my team. While I wish I could keep my secrets to myself until the end of my days, I couldn't do that to the people I cared about.

I closed my eyes. I could picture Aisha softly encouraging for me to tell them, to not be afraid of the people I care deeply about. She might even threaten to smack Elsword in the head if he made fun of me, this would be her way of making me feel less tense. Rena, though I barely knew the real her, would no doubt urge for me to tell the team; if not the team then Chung. Yang would rest its warm, soft head on my lap as I told my story. My fingers instinctively twitched as I pictured myself scratching the back of Yang's ear, a method to keep calm while I opened up to the team.

My three friends may be light years away from me but I still found comfort in my memories of them. I fluttered my eyes open, allowing several droplets of tears to run down my eyes and drip into the salty waters below.

"I'll tell you," I said, returning my gaze to the group. Amos was now fast asleep in Eve's arms, everyone else was awake. "It's going to be a long story so you better get comfortable." I paused, allowing myself to adjust to my quickened heart rate. "Let me tell you something about my past…"

I started my tale with the past I tried so desperately to hide, everyone who hadn't heard of my story before offered me their condolences. Afterwards, I got into details about Scarlet's past, the group tensed at the similar backstory she shares with me. Then I allowed myself to recall my days spent with Scarlet, how my mindset about her changed as we seemingly grew closer. Nostalgia welcomed me as I told the tales of happier days. It was hard to admit how she made me feel less lonely, especially since I was surrounded by loving people each and every day; though it hurt even more to admit my brother may be the demon who killed Aisha.

After I finished telling everything I had to tell the boat was silent. Everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me like they don't recognise me anymore.

"So...your brother caused Aisha's death...not you." The flame on Speka's staff intensified.

"I share the blame with him," I answered in a heartbeat. "I-it was my fault for being so shell-shocked over what...Aren has become."

"Still…"Speka (thankfully) lowered the strength of her flame. "It makes a bit more sense now that I know about...y'know."

"Ara, I am deeply sorry about your brother." Eve's voice was soft and light as a feather. "While I do not understand what it means to have a sibling I do understand how much it hurts to lose someone important to you."

"Thanks for opening up to us about everything." Raven offered a gentle, kind smile. "I know that isn't easy."

"You guys deserve to know," I tucked my knees into my chest and hugged them. "Especially after all the trouble, I caused."

"I'm glad you told us." Elsword was looking at me for the first time since he started the conversation. "While I can't bring myself to fully forgive for what you did just yet, I know it'll be easier to do so now that I know."

I responded to him with a smile. I didn't feel any more words needed to be exchanged.

"And uh," Elsword scratched his cheek. "While I don't really know what it's like to lose a sibling I can understand your pain." Sincerity painted his eyes as he looked into mine. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your brother. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Thanks," I dropped my gaze to my feet, silently praying no one noticed my glassy eyes.

"At least you don't anything to constantly remind you of your dead sibling," Speka said under her breath. "I share the same damn face and voice as mine."

"Speka-" the mage tensed, visibly taken aback that someone overheard her comment.

"Alright, story time is over." Speka waved her staff in a circle, breaking the magical fire into glowing particles. Chung grunted at the abrupt absence of light. "Who wants to take the first watch?" Speka asked.

"I-I will," I offered, knowing sleep will only evade me tonight.

Even though we were practically in the middle of nowhere it was mandatory to have someone stay up and keep a lookout for threats. We had every right to be paranoid that we'd run into a Red Knight ship somewhere in the ocean, especially after the mess we caused during the escape, and sharks. None of us wanted to get eaten by sharks.

Every night Speka, with the help of the El Shard, would cast a spell to keep us levitated several inches above the water. This was to keep us from drifting off course as we slept. It was comforting, to say the least, to know we wouldn't get lost at sea.

Like any other night while I was on watch I spent my time studying the mysterious book from Velder while listening to the soft, rolling waves. It frustrated me that I couldn't decipher the ancient language printed in the book's pages, not even the occasional pictures could help me understand its contents. I, however, had an idea that the Shards were somehow connected to the relationship between humans and demons as much of the illustrations showed humans and demons existing together.

The creaking of wood snapped my head up from the book. I looked back to see it was only Chung joining me at the head of the ship.

"You've been reading that for a while now." He said, taking a seat beside me. "Find anything useful yet?"

I shook my head," nothing but confusing pictures." I gently shut the book and rested it on my lap. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered, eyes continuing to linger on me. I mentally thanked the darkness for hiding the very obvious blush on my face. "Aren't you cold just wearing that?"

"Oh, this thing?" I almost forgot I was only in an old black t-shirt. "Nah, I don't really get bothered by the cold anymore." I reached down my shirt and pulled out the blue pendant he gifted me long ago.

"You still have that thing?" His sapphire eyes softened on the pendant.

"Of course," I said, dropping the pendant back to its original position. "It works better than any sweater _and_ it looks fabulous."

"It looks even better on you," he winked. I could feel the burning blush on my cheeks spread.

"W-what's with you tonight?" I snapped my eyes away from him, suddenly finding interest in the horizon.

He laughed," what? I just wanna tease you a little bit."

"Glad you still have your sense of humour, Rapunzel." A cheeky grin spread on my face at his old nickname.

"Anything for you, demon freak." For once his absurd nickname for me didn't irk me.

For a moment we didn't say anything, basking in the silence embracing us this cloudless night. I absentmindedly found myself decreasing the distance between us (he had the similar idea) until we were practically leaning against each other. Neither of us was bothered by the invasion of personal space.

"It was brave of you to tell us about Scarlet tonight." He said after a while. "Thanks for helping us understand the situation better." He laid his hand gently over mine, his touch soft like feathers.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done," I admitted, interlocking fingers with him. Though he was dressed in a warm sweater his hands were freezing. "I know you guys will never fully understand the complex friendship between me and Scarlet."

"You got that right." Chung snorted.

I knew he was only joking but I stomped his foot regardless," thank you for listening till the end."

"You have a funny way of showing your gratitude." He glared daggers at me but I was left unfazed by his bluff.

"Yeah, yeah," I rested my head on his shoulder laughing. "You aren't that scary anymore."

"Damn, I've been growing too soft." He jokingly replied.

Elsword muttered something about cake in his sleep before resuming to fill our ears with his pig-like snores.

"Chung, do you ever wonder what life would be like if magic and demons never existed?" I whispered.

"The world would be a lot safer," he answered without hesitation. "Without magic there would be fewer deaths, the lack of demons would mean you could go explore the wilderness without having to know how to fight."

"And we wouldn't be stuck in this mess," I added. "I wonder where we would be in a perfectly normal world."

"Elsword would probably be passed out from partying too much." He chuckled at his own answer. "You'd still be with your family, Aisha would still be alive and Elesis would still be able to walk. The list goes on."

"A perfect fantasy," I sighed.

It was hard for me to imagine a world where none of _this_ existed, where everyone we lost could be alive and living a much happier life. Something like that sounded too good to be true.

"I'll avenge them," I said after a moment. "Aisha, Rena; Yang, I'll avenge them all."

Chung didn't respond right away. I was afraid I'd upset him by mentioning Rena, I've forgotten how much her death hit him. I opened my mouth to apologise just as he spoke up," I appreciate that you're fighting for their sake." He squeezed my hand. "But don't please make promises you can't keep."

"We'll see about that," I mumbled under my breath.

"We can't afford to lose anyone else. Just play it safe, alright?" He continued sternly. There was clearly no negotiating with him tonight.

I mutely bobbed my head and snuggled closer to him. Though we both knew, consciously or unconsciously, that I was lying.

* * *

All the food we had gathered in Velder depleted over the next few days, our water supply was quickly meeting the same end. Our group was, understandingly, growing more and more anxious with each passing day. So when Chung finally announced that land could be seen from the distance our entire ship erupted in cheers.

"The biggest problem now is how we can get food when we arrive at the city," Elsword said after we were done celebrating. "I have no doubts that a Velder mage teleported to Hamel and informed them of our escape."

"Chung, where do you think we should go first?" Raven asked.

"Hmm," Chung hummed, eyes still glued to the growing land ahead. "There's a forest that encircles the city, I have no doubt we'll be able to find some animals and fruits there."

"As long as we get something into our stomachs I don't care," Raven replied, eyes landing on Amos. I could see his statement was mainly directed to his adopted son. "We'll also need a place to sleep."

"I am not sleeping on grass and dirt." Speka folded her arms with a huff.

"Do we even have a choice at this point?" Raven shot back. Speka scowled at him and turned her cheek the other way. "We can't afford to live in luxury, Speka."

"Can't we find an abandoned place in the city?"

"I don't want us staying inside the city either, though," Chung piped in, sounding just as irritated as Raven was. "We might risk being caught by one of the patrolling knights."

"Where do you think we should stay?" I asked.

"I'll think of something when we get there," Chung answered curtly. "We should focus on getting food and learning about Hamel's condition before deciding anything else."

"I agree," Elsword bobbed his head in approval. "Guys, we should get prepared to dock."

By the one hour mark, we all had our weapons ready and bags strapped to our back. Everyone also changed in a different set of civilian clothing, hoping the different attire would help us evade suspicions.

"Chung, you said you were from Hamel, right?" I inquired once the empty beach was fully in sight. He nodded, keeping his attention on the Wind Shard to guide our boat. "Do you have any family here that would be willing to hide us?"

"Y'know, that sounds like a good idea." Elsword chimed in. "I bet you have a crazy aunt or uncle that's cool with fugitives living in their basement."

Chung visibly tensed, yet he made no effort to respond. A voice at the back of my head scolded me for bringing up his family. I knew the circumstance of his father, he told me in Feita, but I didn't know about the rest of his relatives. For all, I knew this could be a sensitive topic.

"Erm...I understand if you don't want to put them in danger." I added meekly. A part of me still wished I had apologised to him instead.

"My family is...complicated." He glanced back with a tight smile. My chest ached knowing I might've unintentionally brought up unhappy memories. "I don't think it'd be smart to go knocking on their door."

"O-okay," I bowed my head. I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

No one spoke another word until our tiny boat hit shore. We practically dove out of the boat and onto the white sand. I've never felt so happy to be able to stretch my aching limbs. Chung promptly dragged the boat out of the salty water and, with the aid of the El Shard, buried it underneath the endless supply of sand.

Once everyone was finished stretching and reawakening their legs, Chung carefully guided us through the woods. We each kept our eyes and ears peeled for any signs of another human being. Along the way, we quietly discussed our next plan of action. Everyone seemed adamant to find food and shelter, but we also wanted to stay focused on the task at hand. In the end, it was decided that Speka and I would sneak into the city to gather information while the others remained in the forest to find food.

Chung walked Speka and me to a hidden entrance to the city. We insisted we go along with us since he knew the city better than any of us, but he refused to step one foot into the city's border. Knowing there was little time to waste we let Chung go and proceeded inside.

Hamel was nothing like I've ever seen. Each of its buildings was made from what appeared to be white sidewalks showed no signs of dirt or debris, it seemed like you could eat off the floor without having to worry about feeling sick. Most of Hamel's residents were adorned in casual wear with the exception of a few wealthier folks. Speka and I were easily able to blend in with our dark hoodies.

"I wish we thought of bringing money," Speka rubbed her growling belly as we passed by a busy grocery store.

"Just be grateful we have the means of catching and cooking fish." I reminded her sternly.

"I'm sick of fish."

"So am I," I admitted truthfully. "I'd rather live off of fish than nothing, though. We should stop worrying about food and focus. There's so much we need to learn about Hamel's condition."

"What's there to learn?" Speka groaned. "I don't see a problem with this place. In fact, the only thing worth learning is how they managed to make the streets look so nice. Didn't something bad happen here recently?"

"Hamel was attacked by demons a while back, more specifically the slums were attacked," I told her in a soft whisper. "Apparently the slums lost many residents."

Speka's eyes wandered down the busy streets," the people don't look too concerned."

"They probably don't care about the less fortunate residents. Plus, it's not like they're the ones who got attacked. They have nothing to worry about." I answered with bitterness seeping through my voice.

"Damn, I was hoping we could try begging for some money." Speka clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I would kill for a cup noodle right now."

"We don't have time to earn money and buy food." I chided her sharply. "We're here to gather information, remember? C'mon, daylight's burning away."

Nothing particularly interesting caught our attention for the next hour. I took note of the abundant homeless citizens taking refuge in the unusually clean alleyways, their presence left unnoticed by the fortunate citizens passing by.

At one point we walked by a group of elderly ladies. I found myself staring at the group of women, drawn to the bandages wrapped on their frail arms, legs and face. I wordlessly gestured Speka to slow down as we walked pass them.

"He passed away last night." One of the women muttered to the group, her soft voice was difficult for even my ears to pick up. "The poor boy was only ten."

"That's awful!" Another woman gasped. "As if his family's living conditions weren't bad enough."

"If the Red Knights had guarded our sector better the attack wouldn't have happened. They just don't care about folks like us."

"Instead of wasting their time repairing the buildings they should help those who need medical attention."

"I knew we couldn't rely on their help when the Priestess went missing!"

"The Red Knights are a pathetic bunch."

Once the women were out of earshot we proceeded with our usual walking pace. I promptly relayed what I heard to Speka.

"Why am I hating our allies more and more?" Speka groaned.

"I can understand how you feel," I spoke through gritted teeth. "But it's not like we're doing any better either." It's hard to consider ourselves heroes when we've stolen from the people who's lost almost everything.

"So what should we do now?" Speka asked. "We aren't exactly learning anything new. Should we go back?"

"I...I want to go further into the city."

"You mean you want to see the damage done to the slums?" Speka hypothesised.

"Er...yeah," I stuffed my hands into my pockets. "I think we might learn more about Hamel's situation if we explored the slums."

Speka was silent. I knew she was just as hesitant to walk into the destroyed sector of the city as I was.

"Fine," she breathed. "Let's get this over with."

Our search for the slums lasted for several hours. The vast streets of Hamel made it difficult for us to find our way, at one point I was sure we were wandering in circles. Luck, fortunately, shined upon us when we spotted the same group of homeless women venturing into an alleyway. Speka and I decided we'd try to follow them, we speculated they would lead us to the slums. Our speculations were well rewarded.

The slums, unlike the more wealthy sector of the city, looked like an abandoned battlefield. Homes, consisting enough space for a three-member family, were either left with gaping holes in their dirty white walls or replaced with a mountain of debris. Red Knights patrolled up and down the streets while mages repaired the fallen walls separating the slums from the forest. Speka and I retreated into alleyways in fear of being caught by the knights. A vast majority of the remaining residents were either scavenging the streets for food or tending to their injured loved ones. I wanted to vomit at the piles of bodies gathered at the middle of the street.

"This is awful," I breathed.

"Why aren't the Knights doing anything to help the injured?" Speka hissed.

 _They may be saving their supplies for another attack._ Eun sneered at the pair of knights walking idly by a sobbing family; I could only assume they were crying over their destroyed house. _Hamel seems like a big city. They may not want to use their supplies for the poor and weak._

"It's like Velder," a low growl sounded in my throat. "I have no doubt the knights are lending their assistance, but they're only giving an insignificant portion of their supplies to the people."

 _I do not like how the knights are treating their people, but I can understand their actions._

'What's there to understand, Eun?!'

 _Just like in Velder they do not have an unlimited amount of supplies, Ara. They most likely cannot trade with another city or town, their partners are either destroyed or the supplies delivered never make it to its destination. Do you believe it is wise to expend large amounts of supplies on citizens who cannot help nor fight? What will happen when they do not have enough to heal the people who can fight; how will the people benefit if their troops fail to protect them?_

'You're basically saying we have no way to help the poor citizens. I don't believe you.'

 _It does not matter if you wish to believe it or not. This is a fact that will remain regardless of your opinion. You cannot please everyone._

"Can we hurry up and explore?" Speka snapped me out of my mental battle with Eun. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Y-yeah," I stammered. "Er...let's go."

Speka and I ventured further into the alleyways, neither of us speaking a word to each other. While we were exploring I couldn't help but think back to my conversation with Eun. It made me think of the people we'd undoubtedly hurt by pursuing our mission. There's no question that the citizens of Velder will lose another meal because of the food shortage, and let's not mention the casualties that will follow as we fight for the remaining Shards. Our old friends, Elesis, Echo and Lowe will be hurt by our act of betrayal. Disaster seemed to follow wherever we went.

"Wow," Speka gasped as we gingerly exited onto the abandoned street.

We were now standing in what appeared to have been an overcrowded neighbourhood. Broken furniture accompanied by colourful ragged, clothing littered the streets. Not a single citizen was in sight.

Speka and I wordlessly thread through the remains, perhaps we were hoping to find a survivor and help them. Or maybe we were seeking for another life form within the remains of the neighbourhood, to reassure us there were in fact survivors.

A breeze swept through the area, bringing clouds of dust and paper into the sky. Two dirty, wrinkled sheets of paper rocked back and forth in the air, like a dirty pendulum, until it landed at our feet. Speka and I both took a separate sheet and examined its contents.

 _"_ _People of Hamel, surrender to our Lady Karis and we will not harm you. You will be given three days to give up your city. We will not hesitate to kill. Be prepared to defend your weak people if you choose to go against us."_

I curled my fingers into a fist, crumpling the demons' letter in the palm of my hand. I glared daggers into the dirty sheet in my fist, wishing I could set the threat on fire.

 _I suspect the demons will attack again, though next time they may attack the more wealthy sector of the city._

"They might destroy the entire city next time," I answered out loud. "We _need_ to stop them before that happens."

"That's if we're strong enough to take the demons on alone." Speka snapped, tearing her sheet of paper in two. It was oddly satisfying to hear the demons' demands rip in half.

"We have the El Shard on our side now."

"The demons have more Shards than us," Speka's comment punched me in the face, reminding me how powerless we really were. "Plus, it's not like the Red Knights will be willing to help us now."

"C'mon," I grudgingly dropped my crumpled sheet of paper on the ground. "Let's return and have a talk with the others." Speka mutely bobbed her head in agreement.

Needless to say, we got ourselves lost during our trip out. While the slums were easier to navigate our way out, the richer parts of the city left us wandering blindly through seemingly identical streets.

As we entered yet another unknown street something caught my eye. Displayed on a nearby bulletin board was rough sketches of our team's faces, each one had the word "wanted" printed in bold letters. Speka wanted to turn away and pretend they never existed, but I was keen on knowing what was written about us. Speka, not wanting to be left alone, joined me as I inched closer to the posters.

I feverishly checked left and right before scanning over our posters. To the artist's credit, they had our appearances spot on, it made me wonder if Echo or Elesis helped the artist construct the sketches.

 _"_ _Wanted: Ara_

 _Stole from Red Knight Captains, stole from Velder alchemists, took Velder's scarce resources and attempted murder using a confiscated item_

 _Possesses demonic powers, highly dangerous_

 _Kill on sight_

 _Wanted: Chung Seiker_

 _Helped steal Velder resources and assaulted Velder Knights_

 _Possess a cannon similar to Helputt's, do not confront_

 _Report to Red Knights only if seen_

 _Wanted: Eve_

 _Took Velder's scarce resources and assaulted Velder Knights_

 _Queen of Nasods, may be a threat to Hamel, do not confront_

 _Report to authorities immediately if seen_

 _Wanted: Raven_

 _Stole from Red Knight Captains, took Velder's scarce resources and assaulted Velder Knights_

 _Highly skilled in swordsmanship, do not confront_

 _Report to authority if seen_

 _Wanted: Amos_

 _A kidnapped child_

 _Last seen with Eve, the Nasod Queen, in Velder castle_

 _Call authorities immediately if seen_

 _Wanted: Elsword_

 _Stole Velder's scarce resources, assaulted Velder Knights_

 _Skilled swordsman, do not confront_

 _Call authorities if seen_

 _Wanted: Speka_

 _Stole from Red Knight captains and murdered ten knights using a confiscated item_

 _Dark mage, highly dangerous_

 _Kill on sight"_


	21. First Objective

**"'Tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely." Hamlet (1.2.135-136)**

Speka's mood rivalled that of a thunder cloud. The moment we returned to the others her sour mood spread through the flu like a new plague. I couldn't blame her, though. Anyone would be angry, confused and scared if they found out they'd killed ten innocent people.

I spared her from the questions and told everyone about our discovery in Hamel. Yet, the curious eyes never left Speka as she curled into a ball at the base of a dead tree. When I finally mentioned the priestess that went missing Chung grew hysteric.

"A-are you sure you heard them right?" He asked for what felt like the fifth time.

"Yes," I answered, slightly annoyed at the repeated question. "What's so important about her anyways?"

Chung raked his hand through his hair and cursed, seemingly unaware of my question. This time it was Elsword who spoke up," Ara's right, what's worse than knowing we're wanted now?"

"That priestess may be our only link to the next El Shard," Chung replied in an instant. That shut Elsword up for good. "Dammit, and I thought we'd have an upper hand this time."

"Hold on," Raven piped in curtly. "How can you be sure?"

"The priestess, Sasha, is in charge of protecting and purifying an ancient jewel." He elaborated. "That jewel raised our city from the depths of the ocean, or so I've been told. I think the jewel might actually be the next Shard."

And with the priestess gone, we may not be able to locate the legendary jewel.

"Does that mean we may have arrived too late?" Eve's voice resonated tightly.

Amos' eyes bulged," w-what?! D-does that mean we can't p-prove we are good? A-are we gonna stay as bad guys?"

"Don't worry," Raven wrapped his arm around Amos' shoulders, narrowing his eyes on Eve for a brief second," we'll figure something out, Amos." Unfortunately, his reassuring facade failed to calm Amos down.

"You shouldn't have scared him like that," Raven murmured to Eve.

"I was only saying what we were all fearing."

"We shouldn't scare Amos any further. He's been through enough for his age."

"Chung, do you believe the Priestess was taken by the demons?" Elsword directed his question at Chung.

"I-I don't know," Chung turned his back on the group. "Sasha can normally handle herself, but now that the demon army has grown stronger I can't be sure she's fine.

A flock of seagulls flew overhead. The fact that they could swim through the air, seemingly free from worry, taunted us.

I absentmindedly played with my fingers, my mind running through all the possible actions we could've taken in the past to prevent the outcome we were left with now. Maybe if I'd tried harder to gather my group together we would've left earlier and saved Sasha. Maybe if I didn't waste so much time drowning in my sorrows I could've done something to convince my team to come to Hamel sooner. Maybe, that single word ignited bitter flames in my chest.

"We might still have a chance," Chung's voice was frail and delicate as an autumn leaf. Everyone (except Speka) raised their head at his comment. Chung sighed," Sasha has several places where she prays and nourishes the jewel's magic. If I had to guess, she may have gone missing while she was out praying or purifying the jewel. Plus, if she was killed there's a chance she might not have had the jewel with her. She may have left it in a secured location."

"What's the point?" Speka sniffled, head still rested against her knees. "This Sasha girl may already be dead, and knowing our luck she probably died with the damn Shard."

"You think I don't know that?" Chung curled his hands into fists. "But until we find the body of the Priestess there's still a chance she's still alive, there's still a chance we haven't lost the Shard."

"Where do you think we should search?" I inquired.

"The Resiam Outskirts," he replied, visibly relaxing from the change of subject. "It's a small town by the border of the city. There's a small population in that area so we'll be safe from getting caught."

"And you're sure the Priestess would have gone there?" Raven challenged Chung.

"I never said anything about being sure," Chung clarified. "I just think the Resiam is one of the most likely places we'll find her."

"And if our search comes out empty?" Eve queried next.

"Then we move onto the next location. We'll keep checking until we find her, dead or alive."

"I think it is a waste of time," Eve folded her arms. "Why waste our time on a missing person, whom we are unsure if they are alive or not when we can focus on locating Hamel's Shard?"

"Because Sasha may be our only chance at finding the Shard before the demons will."

"Wow, calm down you two," Elsword interjected before the debate could get any worse.

"Elsword's right, guys, we don't want to be at each other's throat," I added. "We can't afford to get into a fight with each other."

"Then what should we do?" Chung snapped. "We can't sit here all day."

I instinctively looked at Elsword, normally he'd have a solution to help guide the team. Elsword visibly tensed as Raven, Chung and Eve all shared the same idea as me.

"W-we could do a group vote," Elsword rubbed his nose. "It can't satisfy everyone but it'll at least provide us with a starting point." When everyone gave their positive response to his suggestion Elsword sighed a breath of relief.

"Let's start with you." Raven motioned to Elsword. "What are you voting for?"

"I-I think we should try checking the Resiam out. It's better than nothing." He answered shyly, still timid and scared to voice what he thinks we should do.

"I...I think it's not a bad idea," I said with reluctance. At the back of my mind, I knew this may be a fruitless effort, a desperate attempt to deny what has likely happened to the Priestess and her Shard. But Chung had a good point, we can't be sure the priestess is dead until we see her for ourselves.

"There's always a rainbow after every storm," Amos' attempt to reassure us fell flat on its face, but that wasn't enough to extinguish his childish hope. "I vote we go!"

"Sorry, Amos, your vote doesn't count." Eve placed her hand on Amos' shoulder.

"What?! Why?" Amos bellowed incredulously. "Is it because I'm a kid?"

"Amos, you do not have enough experience to make intelligent decisions."

"So it _is_ because I'm a kid." Amos pushed Eve's hand off and stuck his tongue out. "Adults suck."

"I think it's too much of a risk." Raven voiced his opinion, ignoring Amos' remark. "We've just barely escaped Velder and I don't want to risk getting caught by Hamel knights."

"I agree with Raven." Eve nodded.

All eyes turned to the only member that has yet to vote. For a while, no one dared to speak a word to the Dark Mage. No one was brave enough to confront the storm brewing through her head.

"Speka," Elsword managed to say without stuttering. "What do you think?"

Speka pulled her legs closer to her chest. When she refused to reply Elsword tried again," Speka, we need you to vote. You're a part of this team."

"I don't care!" She screamed, catching everyone around her off guard. She lifted her head up, eyes puffy from her silent tears. "I've had enough, okay? You guys can do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

Elsword seemed to want to reply but for one reason or another, he remained quiet. I could only assume he was scared of comforting her or he doubted his ability to help a friend in need.

 _He may also be afraid to approach someone who looks exactly like Aisha._ Eun suggested. _I feel pity for your leader._

"What are you gonna do then?" Chung narrowed his eyes on her. "If you're going to stick with us you'll need to contribute in the vote."

"Who says I'm going to stay with you losers?" Tears welled up like a fountain in her eyes, giving her no time to wipe them dry before they could run down her face.

"Speka, you don't mean that," Elsword's defeated voice evoked tears to burn my eyes. He gazed at her with defeated eyes. It must've been hard, hearing Aisha's voice telling him that she didn't want to stay on the team. As if having her die in his arms wasn't bad enough.

"Where do you plan on going then?" Eve inquired. "You are now an outlaw in the eyes of the knights, how do you expect to live a normal life now?"

"I don't plan on living a normal life." Speka hiccuped. "I-I'm a murderer. I-I can't ever live a normal life."

"Speka-"

"Don't tell me I'm not!" She cut me off sharply. "I'm the first person here to have actually murdered someone. S-someone like me doesn't d-deserve to live."

I wanted to tell her I understood how she felt, how much it hurt knowing you were the reason why someone's life was cut short. I couldn't bring myself to say it, though. The fact is I didn't know what it was like. I didn't personally kill Aisha. Speka, on the other hand, accidentally killed ten knights with the Shard. I know she didn't mean to kill anyone but that doesn't change the fact that she did it. I wish I could sympathise with her and be the _hero_ to take her sorrows away, but I can't.

What happened next left me speechless. Elsword gingerly approached the bawling mage, careful not to walk too fast and overwhelm her. She screamed and cursed at him, none of her words could push him away. When he finally reached her he crouched down in front of her and spoke softly," we know you aren't a heartless killer."

If Speka wanted to respond she couldn't, her lips her quivering too much for her to form any words.

"You might not believe what I said but I do." He gently wiped her tears dry with his thumb, she froze from his touch but didn't attempt to push him away. "I don't really care what you vote for, Speka. All that matters is that you stay with us. You're a valuable member of our team, don't you dare forget that."

One moment Speka was trembling, her arms wrapped around her legs, and the next she was embracing Elsword and sobbing on his shoulder. Elsword hugged her back, embracing her like he'd used to embrace Aisha. I wasn't sure if this sudden act of kindness was a result of his unconscious instinct to comfort a teammate, as any good leader would do, or if he was compelled to help her because she looked so much like Aisha.

I want to believe he confronted her out of the kindness of his heart but I won't exclude the possibility that he couldn't stand seeing Aisha's crying face.

Once Speka was finished exerting all the tears her body could afford to lose she cast her vote. We were going to investigate the Resiam after all.

* * *

The Resiam Outskirts was just as destroyed as the slums. All of her snow-white buildings were torn into the ground, towering structures left broken and scarred with irreversible cracks. To make matters worse, the abandoned streets were flooded with salty water; the water level was so high Eve had to carry Amos or else he'd run the risk of drowning. It was impossible to see where the ocean started.

Chung led us through the ruins of the suburban area with his head held high. I stayed close by his side and kept a sharp eye on him, I couldn't believe he could walk through his damaged city without feeling sorrow. I could only hope my presence would help him hurt less on the inside.

"We're almost there," Chung spoke up for the first time since we entered the ruined sector. "If we don't find anything we can take refuge in the prayer room if we don't find her."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Raven asked.

"There's nothing left here," Chung answered flatly. "I doubt anyone would bother coming back." I pained me to see him act so emotionless toward the destruction of the Resiam.

"Chung," I whispered, making sure my voice could only be heard by his ears.

"Yeah?"

"Are...are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said in an instant, refusing to look me in the eyes.

I shouldn't be nosy, if he doesn't want to open up to me there's nothing I can do to change that fact. I clenched my teeth together and continued forth, the questions I suppressed continuing to prick at my throat.

"Why do you ask?" He breathed. I mentally jumped with excitement at his willingness to open up to me.

"Well, we're basically walking through the remains of your home," I pointed out, hoping I didn't sound too eager to hear him respond. "I guess I'm a bit worried about you," I added sheepishly.

He met me in the eye for a brief second, a smile shining on his face," thanks, but I'm really doing okay." He looked away once more, his handsome grin vanished with a blink of an eye. "Thanks for asking."

"A-anytime." I wish he'd be more honest with me. At a time like this, it's unhealthy to keep painful emotions hidden.

"I can see the prayer area!" Chung announced, pointing to the dome-like structure ahead.

"Should we try to sneak in?" Elsword asked, unsheathing his swords.

Chung shook his head," like I said before, there's nothing left for anyone to want to stay here."

"What if there are guards inside?" Raven pointed out.

"If it's Red Knights we knock them out."

I absentmindedly took a glance back at Speka. Her face was white as snow and eyes seemingly staring into space. Elsword took notice of her gaunt expression and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. A ghostly smile stretched on her lips, though his gesture didn't seem to ease the anxiety and guilt devouring her spirit.

"What if it is not the Red Knights?" Eve arched her brow at his cryptic answer.

Chung's jawline tightened," if we come across Hamel Knights I'll deal with it personally." He quickened his walking pace before anyone could inquire him any further.

"Excuse me?" Raven repeated. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"Don't worry about it, man."

"How can I not worry? What are you planning to do if we run into Hamel Knights?" Raven pressed on.

"Can you just drop it already?!" Chung hammered his cannon into the water, splashing his armour with salty droplets. Everyone seemed to stop in their tracks, staring wide-eyed at his sudden outburst. He dropped his head, muttered a quick apology, and continued forth. We tentatively followed shortly after him.

"Eve, what's wrong with Chung?" Amos asked after an unusually slow minute passed.

"I do not know," Eve replied. "Perhaps he has connections with the Knights and does not wish to fight them."

 _Or perhaps he has bad relations with Hamel authority and does not wish for us to know._ Eun suggested solemnly.

'Chung wouldn't be on bad terms with Hamel Knights, Eun. He's not a criminal.' I chided at once. 'How can you even think that?'

 _The Chung we know now may not be a criminal, but how can we be sure he has held this status for his entire life?_

'This is ridiculous, Eun.'

 _Is it? Did you not wish for your friends to know about Aren; about your past and relation with Karis?_

'Those are completely different circumstances.' I found myself narrowing my eyes into thin air. Even as I was fuming at Eun for suspecting Chung of being a criminal I couldn't seem to push its suggestion out of my head. Maybe he _was_ hiding something more sinister from us. If I was so reluctant to tell them about Aren being Aisha's killer who knows what Chung is so desperately trying to keep from us.

Our destination was soon in sight. The small dome structure sustained the least amount of damage compared to the other buildings around it, escaping with most of its walls and ceiling intact. Unlike many of the other structures, the prayer building was constructed on a higher levitation. A balcony, with what appeared to be an altar built on it, loomed over the crystal water below.

We were practically moving at a slug's pace, careful not to arouse the water sporadically. I held my breath as we proceeded up the stone steps stretching up to the entrance. The closer we inched to the entrance the more sweaty my palms grew. I was anticipating Red Knights to jump out at any second and surround us, thus every crack and shadow furthered my anxiety. When we reached the top of the stairs, however, we were not greeted with a surprise ambush. Instead, we stumbled across a shadowy figure in the centre of the damaged building, from the looks of it the demon appeared to be unconscious.

"Crap," Chung muttered under his breath.

"I don't assume that's the Priestess you told us about, right?" Elsword held his twin swords up in a defensive position. I nearly choked on my spit as the unknown creature stirred at the sound of the twin swords being drawn out.

"It's a demon," Chung explained in a whisper. "The locals know it as a Shadow Stinger, it's known to inhabit the mountains." He narrowed his eyes," why is it here?"

"Shadow Stinger?" Fragments of my very first fight with Elsword and Aisha played through my head. "That was the demon that attacked Elder way back when."

"What?" Chung snapped his head toward me. "Are you positive?"

"The demon who called for it spoke its name," I recalled. "The one we saw back then was gigantic compared to the one inside, though."

"Now that you mention it, I do remember fighting a giant demon in Elder," Elsword added thoughtfully. "It looked like an oversized, burnt meatball."

Chung cursed and turned his eyes back on the Shadow Stinger ahead," that could mean these demons have been working for our enemies before any of this happened."

"If that is the case then our enemies may have much bigger forces than we had initially anticipated," Eve theorised, letting Amos out of her arms. "Our chances of winning may be close to none."

"Eve, you can't say that." Amos chided, his loud voice prompting the demon to stir in its slumber. "You haven't even tried to fight the bad guys yet."

"Quiet," Eve shushed sharply. "Amos, winning this war is not as simple as trying hard. There are many factors that will determine our death and victory."

"We shouldn't focus on details like that," Raven piped in before Eve could frighten Amos any further. "Right now we need to focus and see if the Priestess was killed by that demon or not."

"Raven has a good point," Chung pointed his cannon at the beast and proceeded inside. "This demon might be able to tell us what happened to Sasha."

"Or it'll give us valuable information about the enemy demons." Elsword followed Chung's lead.

As much as I'd love to turn around and walk _away_ from the sleeping demon, I chewed on my lower lip and followed the guys inside. Eve and Raven quietly but firmly ordered Amos to wait outside before making their way inside.

Our footsteps were delicate as an infant's grasp and careful as a surgeon's hand. Within seconds we had our target surrounded, our weapons drawn and ready to attack. Chung studied our formation one last time before raising his voice," hey, ugly, wake up!"

In an instant the demon jolted awake, I found my legs instinctively staggering away from it. Just like the demon that attacked Elder, this Shadow Stinger had orange markings to outline its face. I mentally reminded myself to stay aware of the spikes protruding from its spherical body.

"Humans?" The demon sounded genuinely shocked at our presence. It staggered clumsily on the spot, it was somewhat comforting to know our numbers left the target intimidated.

"Stay still and we won't hurt you," Chung continued tentatively. "We have a couple questions for you."

"How did humans sneak into this area. We were told it was captured for us," the demon muttered.

"Do you know where the Water Priestess is?!'

"The Mistress lied," the Shadow Stinger went on to itself, seemingly oblivious to Chung's demands. "S-she promised us safety a-and now I am being attacked by humans."

 _Mistress? Perhaps it is referring to our infamous "friend"._

It wouldn't surprise me if this demon knew something about Scarlet, though I doubt it'd be willing to tell us about her whereabouts and plans.

"Who are you talking about?" Elsword interrogated next. His voice resonating with stronger authority. "Who are you working for?"

The demon cackled," I may have been betrayed by my Master but I have not dropped low enough to answer to the likes of _you._ "

"Answer our questions or we'll have to hurt you!" Chung roared, his voice echoing through the circular space.

Once again his threats dropped dead in the demon's ears," I thought life could only get better after Helputt went mad and turned against his people-"

"Shut up!" Chung's snow white aura burst to life, fuelled by his unexplained anger with the demon.

"Chung, control yourself," Eve rebuked, drones readying themselves to defend their Queen.

"What's wrong, White Wolf of Hamel?" The demon continued to laugh, taking obvious enjoyment in Chung's rage. "Can't stand to hear the betrayal of the infamous Helputt? Does it bother you to learn how weak his old, human mind was?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Chung screamed, launching a horde of blue missiles directly at the demon. The Shadow Stinger was quick to roll out of the way, retaliating by extending all of its spikes at Chung. Thankfully Chung hid behind his bulky cannon and endured the deadly spikes.

"Dude, what are you doing!?" Elsword snapped. "We aren't supposed to attack so soon!"

Chung ignored Elsword and proceeded to pursue the demon, barely saving himself each time the demon attacked back.

"Looks like there's a change of plans," Raven aimed his sword at the Stinger. "Since Chung landed the first hit we have no choice but to fight back."

Elsword cursed," I'm gonna kill Chung after we deal this."

We charged into battle as one, with the exception of Speka who stayed back to prepare a spell. Raven and Eve took the lead, as the demon was busy catching up with Chung Eve shocked the demon with Ophelia's help while Raven pierced his sword into the demon's back side.

"ARGH!" Elsword and I were forced to leap back as the demon extended its spikes in our general direction. Before either of us, cold advance further Speka unleashed a line of laser beams, further agitating our target. This time it was Raven and Eve that had to move in order to avoid being impaled.

Elsword, clearly growing impatient from the demon's constant retaliatory actions, impaled three magically infused swords into the demon's body just as Eve, Chung and Raven continued their advance at the target.

I shrieked as the trio barely barrel rolled away from another set of protruding spikes. Elsword apologised briefly to them before making his advancement at the target. I, on the other hand, couldn't bring myself to participate in the fight anymore.

Back when Aisha and Yang were still alive we were able to fight in harmony, our attacks left enough room for another to pick up and continue inflicting damage. Now we were all desperate to land a hit, completely disregarding the others fighting by our side. The only ones who seemed to be able to cooperate were Raven and Eve, everyone else just kept getting in each other's way. We may have come together as a group again but we were far from being the team we once were.

"This demon is tougher than it looks," Elsword commented in the heat of the battle.

Maybe if we worked as a team we wouldn't be having so much trouble defeating it.

"Was it this difficult to defeat this kind of demon back in Elder?" Eve asked. The demon turned away from its fight with Chung, taking a quick interest in Eve's question.

"Yeah, but it was Ara and Eun who defeated it in the end." Elsword gestured his head at me. At that moment I wished Elsword would've kept my identity a secret from the demon. In a split second, I became the sole target of the Shadow Stinger, even with Eun's help it was difficult for me to dodge its endless storm of spikes.

"Elsword, why did you gesture to Ara?!" Raven bellowed.

"What? How was I supposed to know it'd attack her like that?"

"Maybe because the Shadow Stinger you fought back then may have been acquainted with the one in here!" Raven snapped.

"Geez, I'm sorry. How could I predict the two demons would know each other?"

I couldn't afford to listen in on their argument any longer. With the constant storm of spikes raining down on me I needed to focus on avoiding each attack.

"So you're the reason why my brother hasn' returned!" The Shadow Stinger cried, my movements faltered at the mention of its brother, that nearly earned me a spike through my chest. "You humans see my kind as evil, yet your species is the true root of evil!"

The Shadow Stinger curled itself into a ball and rolled in my general direction. Eun helped propel me to the side. Even with its quick reflexes, we avoided the attack by a hair. The entire building shuttered as the demon rammed into a wall, leaving behind an indent.

"I-I'm sorry," I managed to wheeze in between rapid breaths. "I-I didn't know he was your brother."

"Of course you didn't know. Then again, why would a human like you care?!" The demon uncurled itself and once again attempted to impale me with its spikes. I sprung back from its attack radius, staggering on my aching legs upon landing.

"P-please, we didn't have a choice back then. H-he was attacking us and-"

"Do you think we had a choice when that wench came to recruit us?" The demon cut me off abruptly. "Human, do you think nor care if we even had a choice to take part in this war?"

The rest of my team came charging in to interfere with our fight. The Shadow Sting didn't take their presence lightly, however. With one swift movement, it extended all its spikes, driving away anyone who wished to help me.

"I-I know what it's like to lose a brother," I confessed. Perhaps if it knew I shared in its suffering it wouldn't want to attack anymore. "I know how heartbroken and confused you must feel."

"A human can never understand such sorrows!" The Shadow Stinger attempted to run over me again, once again I dodged its attack by a hair. Although I escaped from physical damage my heart continued to ache for the Shadow Stinger.

"I-I do understand! I know how painful it is to wait for someone you love to return to your side. I know-" I screamed, somersaulting to my left to avoid an incoming spike.

 _Perhaps I should try talking to the Shadow Stinger._ Eun proposed once I was back up on my feet. _The demon may calm down once I make my appearance._

'That's a good idea. Maybe this doesn't have to end in bloodshed.'

 _We can only hope._

"If you truly understand my pain then allow me to kill you!" The Shadow Stinger roared, filling the entire room with its thunderous voice.

"We both know that will not bring your brother back," Eun spoke through my body. The Shadow Stinger, once burning with anger, stood speechless as Eun's physique bled into mine. "I am a demon known as Eun, this human is my partner. I can vouch for her claims of pain and loss."

At the corner of our eyes, we could see Chung and the others positioning themselves for another assault. Thankfully they took the hint and restrained themselves from attacking, at least for now.

"A demon working with a human," the Shadow Stinger rumbled with laughter. "That's unheard of."

"Yet here I am," Eun answered calmly, though I felt its nerves tightening with each second. "I am sorry for the loss of your brother. It was our fault he could not return home to you, we killed him under the assumption that he meant harm to our home. We take full responsibility for his murder."

"So you're saying you killed my brother to protect your people?"

"That is correct."

"And you claim this human understands my loss?" The demon asked.

"Yes."

"Interesting," Eun tensed as the Shadow Stinger inched closer to us, though Eun made no attempt to move from our spot. "Are you suggesting this human is to be trusted?"

Eun tilted our chin up," yes, she has proved time and time again to be worthy of my trust and power."

The demon gave no warnings when it decided to extend its spike at us again, and because we were so close to the demon Eun had no choice but to block the spike with the blade of our spear.

"It does not have to end this way."

"Silence! You are nothing but a filthy traitor! How can you call yourself a demon when you fight to kill us?!" The demon's words hit our heart like burning arrows. Eun didn't have time recover when the demon accelerated itself toward us, spikes ready to shred through our body.

For the first time since I've known Eun, it froze from fear. Normally I expected Eun to launch itself out of danger and proceed to fight back, now it couldn't find the courage to move. The aching in our heart intensified with our dread.

'We have to move, Eun!'

Eun (thankfully) snapped out of its daze and sprung to the side, our foot grazing against the rolling demon as it bulldozed by. We landed clumsily on our feet, using our spear to help keep balanced. The demon collided into the far wall, with full force, and broke through. Water sprouted up into the twilight sky as the Shadow Stinger plummeted into the salty waters below, though I doubt that'd be the last we'd see from it.

"I...I apologise." Eun blinked, eyes burning. "I failed you."

'How can you say that, Eun? You just saved my life.'

"Enough, I do not wish to speak of this any further," Eun requested firmly, wiping our eyes on our sleeves.

Eun practically pushed me back into control, my muscles jolted at my abrupt return. Even as Eun had left its dominance over my body I could still feel its heartache pounding through my chest.

"Dammit, Ara," Chung's voice sounded just behind me. Before I could turn around to face him he crushed me with a single-armed hug. He held me so close to his chest I made it difficult for me to breathe.

"Chung?" I gasped dramatically for air, that only seemed to tighten his grip on me.

"I thought you were going to die," he whispered into my ear. "We all thought you were going to die."

"I'm...sorry."

Chung unwrapped his arm around me, giving me just enough time to breathe in a lungful of air before the others encircled me.

"Next time you and Eun try to negotiate with a demon, don't," Elsword said with a forced chuckle. "Glad you're safe."

"I too am glad you are safe," Eve pulled me into a hug, thankfully her embrace wasn't as strong as Chung's.

"Don't go dying on us so soon, Ara. Our sanity can only take so many team deaths." Raven added with a relieved smile.

"Seriously, we can't handle another funeral," Speka mumbled as quietly as she could.

"Guys, I-" I choked up. "I-I'm sorry."

 _I am too._

It's hard for me to put into words how I felt at that moment. Not even a kiss from one's true love could rival the warmth I was surrounded with. You can only understand the sheer power of my team's collective concern when you've experienced that kind of kindness, the kind that left your heart warm with love. The fact that I was not yet back on friendly terms with everyone yet added onto the emotional impact their words had on me.

The moment was curtly cut short as Amos' high-pitched screams bounced through the room. We all snapped our heads at the direction of the sound. The Shadow Stinger was now out of the waters and making a mad dash for the young Ponggo. Eve and Raven exchanged no words and dashed toward their distress child.

"Amos! Run toward us!" Raven bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Amos, however, refused to oblige to Raven's order. Instead of sprinting to the safety of his two guardians, Amos hastily reached for his bag and pulled out three navy blue orbs. Ignoring the pleas and screams from Raven and Eve, Amos faced the incoming head on and hurdled the orbs in its face. The three orbs shattered upon contact with their target, encasing the demon's body in a thick sheet of ice. The Shadow Stinger roared in fury, its body held in place on the staircase.

"Ha! That's what you get for messing with the kid!" Amos boasted, oblivious to the cracking ice.

Speka wailed in horror as the spikes on the demon's body extended, breaking through its icy prison. Eve (thankfully) noticed the immediate danger Amos was in and summoned Oberon to his aid, luckily the Nasod servant snatched the Ponggo to safety before the demon could impale him.

"Eve, Raven, get away from there!" Elsword screamed. The duo didn't need to be told twice to run away as the demon behind them was now free to move, Oberon followed closely by his Queen with Amos still in his arms.

I wished the demon left the fight while it had the chance. After learning about the loss of its brother I didn't want to slay it anymore, it felt too human to be killed.

"We're all gonna die if we keep this up," I said grimly, watching as Ophelia was summoned to slow the demon with electric shocks. The demon paid little to no attention to the pink Nasod servant and continued to hone in on Eve, Raven and Oberon.

"T-this is bad," Elsword stammered.

"Come on, man, think of a smart way to end this fight quickly." Chung urged Elsword as he readied his cannon to attack. "We can't keep attacking it at random."

"W-why are you asking me?!" Elsword shot him an incredulous look. "Why don't _you_ think of something?"

"Because you know the best way to attack!"

"No," Elsword's shaky voice dropped to a soft whisper. "I-I can't. W-we might fail, or worse."

"Elsword," I piped in, legs trembling underneath me. "W-we need you to help us fight again. T-there's no way we can win without a c-clear plan of attack."

"I told you I can't do it!" He backed away from us like a frightened animal. "I-I can't lead this damn team anymore."

"This is not the time to argue!" Speka spoke for the first time since her breakdown. Her sudden burst of outrage furthered Elsword's distress.

"I-I'm not fit to lead right now a-"

"Stop making up excuses and help your team win!" Speka slapped her staff across his face, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Man up and act like our leader, Elsword! Don't you dare disappoint my sister any further!"

The daze and fear in Elsword's eyes shattered at the mention of Aisha, yet he took no action to spit out commands for us. Chung cursed and proceeded to fire at the demon. His attacks, fortunately, forced the demon to stop advancing toward its respective targets, allowing Eve and her servants to return safely to our side.

"Thanks, Chung," Raven gasped in between breaths.

"Amos, do not pull another stunt like that again!" Eve scolded, the Ponggo now returned to her arms. "You had us worried sick."

"I-I just wanted to help," Amos confessed with droopy ears.

"You're too young to get involved in fights like this," Raven chided.

"No, I'm not! I had the situation all under control."

"Did you? Because it seemed like you would've been impaled in Eve hadn't summoned Oberon to save you."

"Enough!" Elsword interjected before Amos could continue the argument. "I need you two to stop fighting this instant." Raven kept his mouth shut but he gave Amos a particular look that indicated this conversation would be picked up later on. The Ponggo blinked back his fat tears and turned away.

"I have a plan to take the demon down. I-I don't know if it'll work or how well-"

"Get to the point," Chung cut him off, preparing for another attack as the demon resumed its path toward us.

"R-right," Elsword breathed in deeply. "I-I'll need some of those ice orbs, Amos." Amos huffed and turned his head away. It was clear the young Ponggo wouldn't be cooperating with us anytime soon. Eve took the initiative to dig through his bag until she pulled out three of the same coloured orbs used previously.

"We should immobilise the demon before attacking as a group," Elsword explained in haste. "I-I'll need everyone to do as I say once the orbs are thrown. I-I understand if you have doubts in my leadership b-but we don't have time to debate on a new plan right now, understand?" Everyone bobbed their heads at his order, a trembling smile stretched on his face. "Alright, team, split up!"

In a heartbeat, we separated ourselves from each other and the demon's general path.

"Eve, throw the orbs!"

"Understood!"

The demon's body was forcibly frozen to the floor in mere seconds after the orbs shattered on its body. I instinctively increased the distance from myself and the demon as its icy prison began cracking from the growing spikes underneath.

"Chung and Speka, prepare for a long ranged attack!" Elsword commanded in haste. Just as he implemented those orders the demon's ice prison shattered from the protruding spikes. The Shadow Stinger cackled at its new found freedom, that did not waver Elsword's plan, however.

"Attack as many spikes as you can, you two!" Elsword directed.

"Plasma Cutter!"

"Dread Chase!"

Lights of red and blue zipped to and fro from the demon. I winced under the demon's thunderous howls of pain as each of its extended spikes were either snapped in half of broken off. The Shadow Stinger staggered back, screaming and cursing at us.

"Raven and Ara, help me weaken it!"

"Sorry," I whispered before dashing to my target. "Moonlight Slash!" I put in as much strength as I could into my attack, hoping it'll be enough to end the demon's misery. Instead, I increased the extent of its suffering. With one last apology, I pulled my spear out from the demon and jumped back.

" Shockwave Cutter!"

"Sword Blasting!"

Our collective attacks left the demon crippled in pain. Its chances of escape were close to none.

"Eve, finish it!"

"Curse the Demon Mistress! She offers us nothing but pain!" The Shadow Stinger announced to the heavens. "Brother, we were foolish! We should've known she wouldn't have protected us! Brother, you would still be here if she did not come!"

Eve paid no heed to the demon's final words. With one hand she summoned a massive robotic spear above her head, carefully positioning the blade on her target's weakened body.

"Assault Spear!" I squeezed my eyes shut just before her Nasod blade could impale the demon's body. A sickening crunch resonated in my ears. The mourning demon fell silent.


	22. A Starless Night

Friendships are strange, it's like riding a roller coaster blindfolded. You never know what crazy turns your relationship will go through, and whenever you think you've been through it all another drop in the relationship's stability catches you off guard, sending through yet another series of wild loops and turns. That's how my group's relationship functioned anyways.

After disposing of the demon's body we decided to spend the night in the destroyed building. We'd resume our search for the Priestess first thing in the morning. Initially, Speka offered to provide us with light and warmth, but Chung argued the light from her staff could draw unneeded attention to ourselves. In the end, my group was huddled in a tight, shivering circle. I was more than grateful to have Chung's pendant protecting me from the icy cold night.

"Perhaps we should think about training him," Eve whispered to Raven once Amos had fallen asleep in her arms. The young Ponggo barely spoke a word to Raven after being scolded for acting recklessly. I couldn't help but sympathise with Amos' frustration.

"I told you it's too dangerous," Raven answered tightly. "He's too young to get involved with stuff like that."

"You are also the one who told me he should know how to defend himself," Eve reminded. "We cannot protect him forever, Raven. He needs to know how to defend himself."

"I can protect him just fine."

"I am not accusing you of doing a poor job at guarding his life. I am, however, stating the importance of self-defence training. If he is caught in a situation like today's then he will need to act accordingly."

"He can't move or fight like the rest of us," Raven punched his knee. "What part of that don't you understand?"

"Those are the exact reasons why I want him to train," Eve narrowed her eyes on Raven. "Why must you be so protective of him?"

"Why do you want to throw him in the face of danger?"

"Should I say something?" Elsword asked Speka softly.

The Dark Mage shrugged," I don't think there's anything you can do to help."

"Oh, r-right," Elsword muttered, slumping down.

"I didn't mean that as a way to insult your leadership skills," Speka added quickly. "I-it's just that there's nothing you can really do to resolve their argument."

"Yeah, I know," Elsword answered, though his words didn't mirror his expression. "So how are you doing?"

"I've seen better days," she admitted truthfully. "Kinda hard to live knowing you killed some innocent knights."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, Elsword, I do." Speka pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "They have my damn crime printed on the wanted posters-"

"They could've mistaken you for causing the deaths." Elsword cut her off. "Things were kind of a mess during our escape. It would've been easy to blame the deaths on one of us."

"Elsword," Speka looked him in the eyes. Elsword's shoulder elevated up to his earlobes as he gazed back into hers. I wonder who he saw in them, her or Aisha. "I'm not like Aisha. My temper can get me into a lot of trouble sometimes."

"I-I never said you were Aisha," he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh please," Speka snorted. "At least put in some effort when lying to me."

Elsword flared his nostrils at her response," I'm not lying to you."

Speka snapped back with a curse and added," I'm the exact copy of her. You can't tell me you're not comparing me with her! Hell, even I have trouble telling us apart!"

"I-" Elsword paused, eyes wide with rage. When he thought of nothing better to say he scoffed and laid on his side, announcing to the group that he was going to sleep.

"That's what I thought," Speka wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.

It almost seemed like we were back to square one, except, this time, we were inclined to stay together. The arguments, so far, aren't anything major. How long will it be before the disagreements break the delicate bond binding us together? How long will it be when I'm alone again?

I pull my legs up and rest my head on my knees, cursing under my breath.

I need to stop thinking so negatively. Our journey has barely begun and here I am already dreading the possibility of losing everyone again. It's shameful for me to ponder on such pessimistic thoughts, especially since this was all my idea.

'Eun, please speak to me.' I begged. 'I can't bear the company of my mind.'

"Dammit," I curled my hands into fists. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking to me, right?" I perked my head up at Chung's voice.

"Sorry," I replied glumly. "Eun's having a rough night."

"Aren't we all?" He gestured his head at the ongoing debate between Eve and Raven, Elsword was seemingly fast asleep while Speka stared off into space. "It's just one of those nights."

I'm scared this night will drag on till the morning.

"Elsword did a pretty good job at leading us today," Chung went on nonchalantly. "I'm surprised he still had it in him."

"We should be lucky he got his act together at the last minute," I made sure to lower my voice so only Chung could hear.

He bobbed his head," I really thought he'd have a mental breakdown during the fight. Now that would be scarier than the dealing with the demon."

"Yeah," I absentmindedly answered.

Even though we came out victorious in the fight I couldn't help but feel a continuous sadness in my heart. I knew it was caused by the demon's backstory. The fact that we shared the pain of losing our brother made the Shadow Stinger seem more human, the act of injuring and finally killing it left a foul taste in my mouth.

"Speaking of the fight," I noticed Chung shifting uncomfortably in his spot as if already anticipating the question. "Why did you get so mad at the demon?"

"No reason," Chung answered in an instant.

"Chung, we both know that's an awful answer." I managed to draw out a humourless chuckle from him. "Who's Helputt? Why did you get so worked up when you heard that name?"

"Don't worry about it, alright?" He flashed me an empty smile. "That's not an important name."

His answer irked me more and more. It was quickly becoming harder to keep my fist from colliding into his face.

"If it wasn't important why did you get so mad over it?" I continued to question. "Chung, I'm not going to judge you for what you did or who you knew in the past. You don't have to be afraid to tell me about your old friends."

"I'm not scared," he nearly shouted. Speka snapped her head in our general direction, curious to hear what we were talking about. "Like I said, that name means nothing to me. Now can you drop it already?"

I felt my eye twitch from frustration," if it's so irrelevant to you then why was it mentioned on your wanted poster? What are you trying to hide from us?"

"Why do you always have to be so nosy? Learn to mind your own damn business." He snapped back, blue eyes stirring with an angry storm. I found myself shrinking away from him. He huffed and turned the back of his head toward me," sorry."

"That doesn't sound very genuine, asshole." I scooted away from him and rested my head on my knees once again. The conversation between Chung and me died in silence, bringing along the blistering anger I held against him. I was left with nothing but guilt and breath-taking sorrow.

Tonight's setting reflected our team's mood perfectly. The sky was clear of clouds, yet the stars remained invisible against the city lights and the moon was hidden behind an inky veil, leaving the heavens in a neverending darkness.

* * *

 _The afternoon sun was hot enough to make my skin bubble, but not even that could rival the anger and frustration that was coursing through my blood. I felt like I was being cooked me alive as I helped Mother hang up our wet laundry on the clothes line. This was punishment for losing my temper on Aren after he beat me in every match during training._

 _It wasn't my fault. Aren wouldn't stop bragging about his victory even when I told him to stop. His ongoing boasting eventually led to a handful of sand to fly in his face. He should've known that something bad would happen if he didn't stop annoying me, but my parents thought otherwise._

 _Both Mother and Father yelled at me for being disrespectful to my brother and grounded me for the rest of the week. Aren wasn't too happy with me either._

 _I couldn't help it, though. I hated hearing Mother and Father praising Aren for every step he made during the fight, I especially hate it when they'd lecture scold me for not trying hard enough. It wasn't my fault Aren was bigger and faster than me. Why couldn't they see it was impossible for me to beat a big kid like him?_

 _It's not fair, I thought angrily. Why can't I fight another kid? Why am I stuck fighting my big ugly brother?_

 _"Ara," I heard my brother call out to me from behind. Instead of replying I pretended to not hear him and continued to hang up the clothes._

 _"Don't ignore me, monkey face," he said, hitting the back of my hand with his palm._

 _"Go away, you big bully!" I used all my strength to push him away but only managed to move him an inch away._

 _"Says the one who threw sand in my face," he laughed. "Oh and you're not big so-"_

 _I stuck my tongue out at him and turned my back to him," just go away. I don't care about you."_

 _"Geez, are you still mad about the whole losing thing? Looks like someone's a sore loser."_

 _"Am not!" I snapped, twisting myself around to face him again._

 _"Are too!"_

 _"AM NOT!"_

 _"Why are you so mad then?" He smirked. I felt my fingers twitch, but I restrained myself from throwing any more sand at him. "Face it, Sis, I'm just better than you in combat."_

 _"No, you're not!"_

 _"Who got called a gifted warrior? Oh yeah, not you." He boasted with a big smile. Puffed up my cheeks and curled my fingers. If I wasn't already in trouble I would've thrown more sand in his face._

 _"I hate you," I said quietly, looking down on my feet._

 _I knew I did something wrong when Aren didn't reply right away. He'd always have a response ready when we fought, the only time he stayed silent was when I made him really mad._

 _I shyly looked up at him, half expecting to be greeted with sand flying in my face_ —t _hankfully Aren didn't have the same idea as me. Aren, however, wasn't smiling anymore nor did he look angry at me. His expression was blank as white paper. Aren was staring off into the distance, he always did that when he was, what Mother always called it, in deep thought._

 _"Aren?" I gingerly poked his hand._

 _"W-what?" He blinked out of his trance._

 _"Did I say something bad?"_

 _"Er...no," he scratched his cheek. "Not exactly."_

 _"Oh," I felt relieved to hear his answer as if me saying a bad word was the worst thing that could ever happen._

 _"Ara, why were you so mad after training today?" Aren furrowed his brows in concern. "Were my attacks too strong for you? Did I hurt you too badly?"_

 _"I don't wanna tell you," I answered in an instant._

 _"Why not?"_

 _"I just don't wanna," I crossed my arms. "You wouldn't get it."_

 _"Come on, Sis, you don't know if that's true." He pressed on._

 _"Of course I know it's true," I glared at him, feeling just as angry as I did when we fought earlier. "You can win every fight because you're a big kid. A little kid like me can't win against you. It's not fair, Aren!"_

 _Aren stayed silent for several seconds, and when it was clear I had nothing else to say he said, "Ara, could've told me that earlier. I understand what you're going through."_

 _"You're lying," I sniffled. "You're n-not the one being yelled at by Mother and Father. You don't know what that's like."_

 _"Ara, you have no idea how much I understand." Aren chuckled. "Mother and Father always yelled at me when I was little like you."_

 _"T-they did?" I asked, wiping my eyes dry. "I don't remember that."_

 _"You were only a baby when it happened," he explained. "Father used to train with me and I'd always lose to him."_

 _"Did you cry when you lost?"_

 _He opened his mouth to respond but paused for a second," no, boys don't cry." He stated proudly. "I-instead of crying, I trained when I didn't have to."_

 _"What?" I gasped, unable to understand the fact that Aren trained instead of playing with his friends." Did you ever beat Father?"_

 _"No, that's impossible," he burst out laughing. "But I got yelled at less and less whenever I showed him how much I improved."_

 _"Wow," I said, awestruck. "You lost and didn't get yelled at."_

 _"I can help you improve too, Ara." Aren offered with a kind smile. "If I knew you felt so bad every time you lost against me I would've offered this earlier."_

 _"And don't worry about playing with your friends," Aren added before I could voice my only concern. "We won't train every day, just enough to help you keep improving. So what do you say?"_

 _A wide, toothy smile stretched on my face," yes! I wanna get stronger and stronger like you!"_

 _"That's the spirit," he beamed, ruffling my hair. "And uh...sorry about not noticing how you felt. I should've known you'd be going through something similar."_

 _"I forgive you," I answered in a heartbeat. "And I'm sorry again for throwing sand in your face, Aren."_

 _"I forgave you hours ago, Sis," he pulled me in a one arm embrace. "You know I can't stay mad at you."_

I blinked my eyes open, perusal I woke up to the inky blackness of the night. With a groan I pulled myself up to a sitting position, rubbing my aching back once I was fully seated. I scanned our surroundings, chuckling to myself as I found Elsword rolled over on his side, swords resting in his open palms.

Looks like someone fell asleep during watch duty, I thought. I guess I'll take over for him.

I pulled myself up to my feet and tiptoed between the sleeping bodies. I made a full lap around the destroyed room before settling myself down on the balcony. I threw my feet over the edge, my toes just barely touching the edge of the salty waters underneath. I rolled my head back and closed my eyes, revisiting the days of my childhood.

The burning days I spent with Aren training flashed through my mind. I could still feel the aching of my muscles after each training session and the throbbing of my head from Sander's relentless heat. I could clearly recall the suffocating frustration I had each time my brother made me stumble on my feet or when I failed to execute an attack correctly, yet, despite all of my failures, Aren stayed patient with me. He'd teach me each technique and skill over and over until I got it right, all the while encouraging me when I let my temper get the best of me.

Even with all that extra work, all that soul-crushing training, I never managed to beat Aren—at least not when he was going easy on me.

I'll need to fight him some day, I reminded myself. And I can't afford to lose if I face him again. There are innocent lives at stake.

When I see Aren again I can't let myself get caught up in past memories. He's changed for the worse. I'll need to attack him with everything I've got, every skill and technique I've developed must be used to defeat him.

But what will it mean to defeat him? What _does_ it mean to defeat him? I rolled that single question through my head like a hard candy, digesting it in every angle possible.

Maybe I can win by knocking him out. Then we can capture him and keep him, prisoner, though we'd be taking the risk of him escaping. Then maybe, with the help of the El Shards, I can lock him up somewhere and work out a solution to heal him. I would, however, gamble with the possibility of him deceiving me with his recovery.

I pondered through several more option, each time ending with a risk I'd rather not take. The more I thought the more I realised what I needed to do, the only solution that would reassure the safety of my friends and the people of Elrois. Except, I refused to believe it was true. There _had_ to be another solution. I couldn't _and_ wouldn't kill the only living family member I had left—I can't do that to someone who taught and cared for me so much.

The determination to come out victorious against my brother disappeared as quickly as it came.

I cursed and buried my face in my hands, tears oozing from between my fingertips. I couldn't feel the icy winds pinching my skin but I was still weak to the chill emanating from my heart.

 _I can feel your sorrow, Child._ Eun whispered softly, I gasped at its abrupt response. It's been silent for so long I didn't think it'd come out to comfort me. _I may not understand your dilemma but I am familiar with your pain. If we wish to talk then I will be more than happy to listen._

Its last sentence evoked more tears to flood my eyes.

"Eun," I whimpered. "W-what should I do? H-how s-should I deal with my brother. I-I feel so lost."

 _Ara, you already know what I think you should do._ My heart shattered at its reply. _I understand this topic is complicated, though, and I shall not pressure you to come to a conclusion just yet. Perhaps there is a way we can save your brother. I know you love him very much._

Eun's promise may consist of only empty words but I had hope that they held some truth," thank you." I wiped my eyes dry on my sleeves. "Eun, thank you for always being here for me."

 _Just as you care for Aren, I cherish you more than anyone I have ever met._

I smiled," I wish we would've made contact earlier. Maybe then my childhood wouldn't have been so lonely."

 _Yes, I was debating to speak with your younger self much sooner. I decided against it as you most likely would have rejected me._

"Fair enough," I chuckled. "Younger me would've freaked out and threw you out."

 _What a tragic end that would have been,_ Eun added jokingly.

"So," I began swinging my legs back and forth. "Since I've always been asking you for comfort, care to confide in me with your problems?"

A passing breeze made the water roll, my toes grazed along a rolling wave.

"I understand if you want don't want to talk," I added, despite the unsatisfied curiosity poking at my mind.

 _No, it is only fair that I let myself open up to you. You, of all people, deserve to know what has been on my mind._

"Thanks for trusting me enough to talk." A familiar warmth hugged my body. It was Eun's silent way of showing its love for me.

 _When I was first used in combat by your ancestors I was wracked with guilt. I did not wish to fight against other demons, yet they forced me to aid them in their hunt._ Eun began in an unusually calm tone. _As time passed I grew accustomed to killing my own kind. I learned why humans hunted and slain my brothers and sisters without hesitation, though I didn't always condone their actions._

"I'm sorry my ancestors made you do that," I replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable to learn what my family did to Eun. "That must've been awful."

 _Yes, it was. However, without them, I would not be as understanding as I am today._ Eun sighed. _By the time we met, I was used to fighting my own kind, I was numb to the guilt that once haunted me. Today that demon reminded me of what I was really doing. I have never been called out by other demons for being a traitor, I only regard myself with that title._

"Eun, I never knew you felt that way," I was promptly regretting all the times I asked Eun to help me slay a demon. It should've been obvious to me, but I was too blinded with the thought of victory to notice it." I'm so sorry."

 _It is not your fault. I only blame the people who trapped me in this hairpin._

"It still doesn't excuse me for using you to fight against your own kind," I protested. "I should've taken your feelings into consideration instead of focusing on winning."

 _I am proud you can think that way, Ara. Do not let this new knowledge restrict you from using me in the future, however. I understand our circumstances quite well and I know I must fight other demons to prevent the world from falling into chaos._

Another rolling wave licked my toes.

"Will you be okay?" I asked, pulling my feet higher from the water.

 _I have recovered from the initial shock. I apologise for worrying you, Ara. I promise I will not act so rudely again._

"It's not your fault, Eun. I would've reacted just the same way as you, maybe even worse."

Eun snickered, _I am glad we have come to an understanding._

I breathed in a lungful of salty air and exhaled, lowering my legs along with the expulsion of air. Even if our team ran into some disagreements tonight I was content to know my trusted friend was feeling okay.

"I should patrol the building again," I thought to myself out loud. "We wouldn't want a demon or knight to stumble across us."

I was just about to retreat my legs from the edge of the balcony when something slimy shot out of the water and grabbed onto my ankles. I could only muster a scream before being dragged under water.

I squinted my eyes open and desperately searched the water for my attacker, though I could barely see a thing with all the bubbles in the way. I began to kick against my attacker, but no matter how hard I struggled they refused to let go. I looked up, panic quickly overwhelming my thoughts as the surfaced drifted further and further away.

I drew on Eun's strength and continued to struggle, Eun's extra power seemed to catch the perpetrator off guard as its grip loosened around my ankles. I proceeded to claw my way up, burning legs kicking with all the strength I could muster. By this point my lungs felt like they were on fire, it took everything I had not to inhale.

I can't stop moving! I screamed at myself. I have too much to lose!

My clothes were heavy and my limbs burned as much as my lungs. The surface was now in sight, I could hear my friends calling for me from above. The ripples of the water above waved at me tauntingly, no matter how far I swam I couldn't seem to break through the water.

At last, my head popped out of the water, my lungs refilling themselves with as much air as possible.

"HELP!" I screamed with as much force as I could muster. I reached my hand out to the balcony ledge, but I was several feet short of the edge. "Help!" I cried, knowing I wasn't alone in the water.

"She's over here!" Raven exclaimed.

"There's something in-" I shrieked as those same slimy fingers wrapped around my ankles and pulled me under.

I summoned Eun's strength and fought against the mysterious hands, though this time they were not as easy to break free as before. I continuously grasped against the water, as if I could climb out from my impending doom. Two muffled splashes sounded above me, I prayed to every deity that my teammates could track me down.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my lungs, once again, demanded more air. I clenched my teeth and fought back every instinct to gasp for air, I was so focused on keeping my breath in I didn't notice I'd stop fighting. I couldn't even muster the strength to swim when the perpetrator suddenly let go of me. Thankfully a pair of hands caught me by the armpits and began dragging me up.

"They're back!" Eve cried once we broke out of the water, Amos timidly peeking down at us from behind her leg. I didn't waste a second to cough and gasp for air.

"Dude, did you kill whatever was down there?" Chung's voice boomed into my ear.

"I don't think so," Elsword answered tersely. "We need to get out of here!"

"Speka, the Shard!" Eve screamed.

"I-I can't!"

"What do you mean you can't?!" Both Eve and Raven exclaimed at once. I could picture Speka wincing at their response.

"W-what if I hurt them by accident?"

"It doesn't matter!" Chung tightened his grip on me. "We'll all get dragged down if we stay in here any longer!"

"Hurry, Speka! W-we can't lose them too!" Amos cried.

"B-but-"

"Just do something, Speka!" Elsword directed, panic quickly taking over his composure.

My head was starting to spin from my team's yelling and the fear of being dragged under again. The fact that my attacker was still lurking underneath me, veiled by the inky waters, made my heart burst from fear. I whimpered and intertwined my arms around Chung, forgetting the argument I had with him earlier.

Chung, thankfully, wasn't bothered by my gesture," you're gonna be okay." He whispered into my ear. "I've got you." Now my heart was racing for another reason.

The El Shard's signature aura pulsated to life, promptly encasing me and my saviours in a buffet of wind and lifted us out of the water. I let out a sigh of relief the moment Speka placed us down, I was never so relieved to touch land again.

"Glad we made it on time," Elsword said in between breaths.

"Yeah," Chung allowed me to sling onto him even after we escaped from the water. "Elsword, did you see the thing that attacked her?"

"Not really," Elsword admitted. "It looked like an oversized fish."

"It..wasn't a fish." I coughed. Chung chided me for talking so soon but I persisted. "That..that thing had hands."

"What? Are you sure?" Chung asked incredulously.

"Yes," I wheezed, heart still racing from my near-death experience.

"What kind of freakish fish does Hamel have?" Elsword blurted. Chung narrowed his eyes at the comment.

"I see something in the water!" Eve shrieked before Chung could say anything back to Elsword. "It is retreating back under!"

"Speka, hurry up and catch it!" Raven ordered.

"I'm trying!" Speka snapped, sending a wave of energy through the building with the Shard.

Water sloshed under the Shard's influence, spraying rogue The buffet of wind lasted for several seconds, ending only when Speka announced she caught the mysterious creature in the water.

"Gross!" Elsword grimaced the wet creature flopped onto the floor. "It looks like a human."

The creature can only be described as a mermaid. Her skin was seemingly coated with slim and coloured in a sickly aqua-green hue. Her hair, golden at the roots, was a soft shade of magenta that darkened as it neared the tips, transitioning to a rich shade of purple. She hissed and snarled at us like a wild animal, dark ocean blue eyes fierce with the desire to kill.

"You are greatly out numbered," Eve cautioned the mermaid. She stepped purposely in front of Amos, hiding her from the enemy's line of sight. "I would not attempt to fight if I were you."

"I do not fear you," the mermaid growled, her vibrant turquoise tail slapping the floor feverishly. "I'd rather die than to surrender!"

"I'd listen to my Queen's warning if I were you," Raven drew his sword.

"Well aren't you a loyal dog," the mermaid taunted. "I wonder how well your precious Queen will fare once I'm finished with you."

"She can cut you in half without my help."

"Perhaps, but I wonder how long that furry child can last." Raven's face contorted into pure hatred at the mention of Amos.

"That's enough!" Chung interjected before Raven got a chance to respond. The mermaid gasped and snapped her head at him. Her eyes were no longer crazed for bloodshed, now widening with confusion and shock.

"I don't think yelling at the green fish thing helps," Elsword murmured, holding up his twin swords defensively.

"We don't have to fight," Chung went on calmly. I silently doubted he could talk the mermaid out of attacking us." I just need you to calm down and we won't attack."

"I-I don't believe it," the mermaid covered her quivering lips with her hand. I arched my brow at the mermaid's reaction. Both Raven and Elsword lowered their weapons, looking just as perplexed as I was.

"Laguz," Chung acknowledged her with a curt nod. "I see you've been well."

"M-my Lord," Laguz bowed, shoulders trembling from her tears. "I-I can't believe you've returned to Hamel. W-we've all been so worried about you."

"Your what now?" Speka blurted out the one question plaguing everyone's mind.

Chung flushed once realising we all heard her comment, "er, Laguz, you don't have to talk to me so formally."

"I cannot, Your Majesty, that would be most disrespectful on my part," Laguz answered in an instant.

Wait. Did that mermaid just refer to Chung as _Your Majesty_? No, that can't be right. Chung couldn't be royalty. Chung and royalty should never be used in the same sentence, to begin with.

"My Lord, I deeply apologise for attacking your friend." Laguz bowed until her forehead hit the ground. I found myself cringing at the way she referred to him. "I mistook her for the demon that invaded our ocean."

"Wait, what demon?"

"S-she had the reddest hair I-I've ever seen in my life," Laguz began to explain, straightening her spine again. "S-she came into our territory with h-her army, o-offering us a life of peace if we made an alliance with her. O-of course our n-native demons and spirits denied her offered at first, w-we didn't want to be ruled under a foreign figure. Upon hearing our rejection the demoness a-attacked. We've had many casualties and most of our remaining spirits and demons have joined her a-army for protection."

That explains why the demon we fought earlier was so furious we managed to find its hiding spot so easily.

"O-our lands and oceans are infested with the demoness' army," Laguz spat. "The demons and spirits who refuse to work for her are constantly fighting for their homes. It is an endless battle underwater. My Lord, we fear the demoness will conquer all of Hamel if this keeps up. Sasha has gone under to-"

"Hold up!" Elsword curtly cut Laguz off. The mermaid shot him an annoyed looked but she refrained herself from commenting on the matter. "We need to sort out some missing information before we learn more about this demon crisis."

"Elsword, can't you wait until she's finished?" Chung chided. "She's got valuable information on the missing Priestess."

"I know, but I still need to wrap my head around a few things. Like, oh I don't know, that you're royalty?!" Elsword waved his hands feverishly to emphasise his point.

"I am quite speechless at the news as well," Eve admitted, Raven nodded in agreement. "I have come to believe I was the only one who held such a status in our team. It is troubling to know you hold such authoritative power and yet you have never told us."

"Dude, how long did you plan to keep that from us?" Elsword asked Chung in a serious voice.

"I-I wasn't going to keep it from you guys forever." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think you'd all find out like this, though."

"Why did you hide it from us in the first place?" I asked, pushing myself off him. It was, admittedly, unnerving to know I've been arguing and calling someone of royal descent silly names.

"I promise I'll tell you guys everything later, okay? Now's not the time to focus on my true identity."

Elsword hummed sceptically," if you didn't tell us before what are the chances of you spilling the beans later?"

"Look, I promise I'll sort everything out after we locate Sasha," Chung searched the team feverishly for someone to trust him. I shifted my attention away when his eyes locked onto mine.

"Fine," Raven answered for the collective. "We track down this Priestess and then you tell us why you kept this a secret."

"It's a deal," he replied a bit too eagerly. "Now, Laguz, you were saying?"

"R-right," she cleared her throat, though our eyes were still drawn to Chung. "Sasha went under the sea in attempts to purify the corrupted waters and drive back enemy demons."

"And the King? What has he been doing to help Hamel's situation." Chung's voice tightened with hatred.

"King Rod has yet to send troops out to control the demon situation," Laguz answered grimly. "He only agreed to help us search for Sasha when we, the water and ice spirits, continuously begged him for help."

Chung hammered his fist on his knee, cursing," I knew he was a selfish man, but I didn't think he'd keep his antics up after becoming King."

"He was never meant to take the throne, My Lord. It is you who should have been the next King."

"I don't think I would've done any better," he muttered bitterly. I wanted to place my hand on his and reassure him of his doubts, but for some reason that didn't feel appropriate to do anymore.

"So...is Sasha still alive?" Laguz played with her thumbs at Elsword's question.

"We don't know." Laguz's answer made me forget about Chung's bloodline in a split second.

"You don't know? What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

"You see...Sasha's guards were found dead on the beach, but no one was able to locate her body yet. Sasha herself was never found."

"Can you confirm she died during the confrontation?" Eve interrogated next.

"No, that gives us hope that she managed to escape and has sought refuge elsewhere," Laguz explained with a ghostly glint in her eyes. "Water spirits and native demons have been working collectively to find her. So far she is the only one who can save us, but now that our Prince as returned-"

"Did Sasha have the Sacred Water Jewel when she went under?" Chung cut her off. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the fact that we knew about his status.

"I-I do not know, My Lord." Laguz answered.

Elsword and Chung exchanged glances," there's still a chance she might have gone into hiding with it." Chung proposed.

"There's also a chance she died with it," Elsword laid down the opposing possibility. Laguz glanced curiously between them both.

"My Lord, why is your group so interested in the Sacred Jewel?"

"That's information you don't need to know, Laguz." Chung chose his words carefully. It was comforting to know he didn't put complete trust in the mermaid despite knowing her. "All that matters is finding out where Sasha is. Do you think you can help us?"

"I would be honoured to help, Prince Seiker." Laguz replied with a deep bow. "I can use my magic to allow you and your friends to breathe and talk under water."

"Thanks," Chung smiled politely at her. "I think it'd be best if we went once the sun is up. Laguz, can you wait for us in the water until then?"

"As you wish, My Lord." Chung shot Speka a look. Without needing to speak a word Speka pulled out the Wind Shard and proceeded to use its magic to deliver the mermaid back into the salty water. I hadn't realised how shaky her hands here until now. I made a mental note to confront her about this matter later, it's dangerous for her to use the Shard any further at this state.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chung asked me once the mermaid was safely returned to the sea.

"Y-yeah," I absentmindedly scooted away from him. Chung almost felt like a different person now that I knew the part of him that he so desperately tried to hide. He didn't feel like the same guy I felt so strongly for.

"Chung, do you think we can trust her?" Elsword asked, sheathing his swords. "What if she knows about our crimes?"

"I agree," Eve said, scooping Amos up in her arms. "The mermaid appeared too calm and accepting of your request."

Chung shrugged," I think we can take the risk. If she's been underwater this entire time, searching for Sasha, she'll be oblivious to our circumstances. Even if she knew I doubt she'd report us. Laguz has worked for my family for centuries, her loyalty lies with the Seiker family, not the Red Knights. "

"We shouldn't be too trusting," Raven warned. "Friends can easily become our enemies."

I agree with Raven. Take me for example.

"I know," Chung closed his eyes and exhaled. "If anything goes wrong we can retaliate with the El Shard. I'll take full responsibility if we get betrayed."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Chung," I warned him. "The guilt that comes with your promise is indescribable." I know from experience.

"Don't worry," he reassured me with a smile. "Laguz has served my family for years. She's one of the most trusted spirits in Hamel."

"Let's hope you're right about your mermaid friend," Elsword commented solemnly.

Let's also hope we won't lose another friend when we're down under the sea.

 **YES I KNOW , Chung isn't actually a Prince in the canon story, his real name is Prince and Chung is just a nickname, (insert more noncanon things here). You guys should probably know I don't always follow the cannon of the original story but that's what makes it fun. I want to make this story as close to but not exactly like the original.**

 **I completely understand why people like reading fanfics with 100% accuracy but that's not my style. I hope you understand and can roll with what I have set up here. If you're really unhappy with my version of his story then feel free to stop reading 'cause I'm not changing it, bruh :/**


	23. April Fools Joke 1

" **...So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr…" Hamlet (1.2.139-140)**

Exploring Hamel's waters felt surreal, the mermaid's spell allowed us to breathe as if the water was an alternative to air but we still had to manoeuvre through the means of swimming, and we could still feel the water resisting our every move. For the first minute we awed at the diverse marine life buzzing around us, it felt like we stepped into a completely different universe. Amos had the most fun out of all of us, chasing fish and poking at colourful plants regardless of Eve and Raven's disapproval of his actions.

I wish I could've uncoiled myself from my worries and uncertainty like Amos. If I wasn't so anxious about underwater demons or the possibility of losing another friend I would've enjoyed the new scenery for a much longer period of time.

"Be on your guard," Laguz warned as we proceeded deeper into water's depth. "We have encountered several demons around these areas."

"Amos, stay close to me," Raven ordered. When the young Ponggo continued to act aloof Raven repeated himself, this time with more authority.

"I'm just trying to have some fun," Amos whined, reluctantly returning to his caregiver's side.

"This isn't a place to have fun," Raven chided sternly. "You could get killed if you're not careful."

"You overreact too much," he muttered.

"It's for your own good."

Amos huffed in frustration and turned his head away from Raven.

I was tempted to remind Amos about his near-death experience with the shadow stinger, though I decided it'd be best not to irritate him any further.

"My Lord, when we locate Sasha will you return to the castle?" Laguz asked Chung, slowing down her swimming pace to be beside him.

"Maybe," Chung replied flatly. "I haven't thought of going home for a while."

"Please put some consideration into it," Laguz persisted, her voice filled with worry. "I feel your return will give our people hope again. Besides, Daisy and Rod would be most excited to see you alive and well."

"Rod happy about seeing me again?" Chung snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"I think you underestimate our King's love for you," Chung's jawline tightened at her remark. "Oh, how joyous he will be when he sees you walking in the castle. I can already imagine the party dedicated to your return!"

"You're being ridiculous, Laguz," Chung chuckled dryly. "You and I both know how selfish my uncle is. He wouldn't throw me a party even if I brought home a wife."

What do you call a potato with glasses? A spec tater!

Why does the singer of Cheap Thrills not want us to Sia?

Steak puns are a rare medium well-done..

Mountains aren't just funny. They're hill areas.

Need an ark? I Noah guy.

Which bees produce milk? The boo-bees!

Imagine if you would hit the clock in the morning and the clock would hit you right back.

I think it would be truly alarming.

If you forget to pay for exorcism, will you get repossessed?

I owe a lot to the sidewalks. They've been keeping me off the streets for years.

Why don't some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don't work out.

Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I'm OK, but I feel like I've dyed a little inside.

A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but I soon realized that toucan play at that game.

I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down

Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink.

-I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.

-When chemists die, they barium.

-Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

-How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.

-I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

-This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.

-I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.

-I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

-They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.

-PMS jokes aren't funny. Period.

-Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.

-We are going on a class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there's no pop quiz.

-Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?

-When you get a bladder infection urine trouble.

-Broken pencils are pointless.

-I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.

-What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.

-England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

-I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

-I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.

-I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.

-Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.

-Velcro, what a rip off!

-A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.

-Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!

-The earthquake in Washington obviously was the government's fault.

-Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings, too.

-When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

-I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.

-Marriage is the mourning after the knot before.

-Corduroy pillows are making headlines.

-Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?

-Sea captains don't like crew cuts.

-A successful diet is the triumph of mind over platter.

-A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumour.

-Without geometry, life is pointless.

-When you dream in colour, it's a pigment of your imagination.

-Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.

-A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

-Dijon vu – the same mustard as before.

-What's the definition of a will? (Come on, it's a dead giveaway!)

-A backwards poet writes inverse.

-In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism, your count votes.

-With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

-He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

-Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

-Doctors tell us there are over seven million people who are overweight. These, of course, are only round figures.

-What is the purpose of reindeer? It makes the grass grow, sweetie.

-There were two ships. One had red paint, one had blue paint. They collided. At last report, the survivors were marooned.

-The other day I sent my girlfriend a huge pile of snow. I rang her up and asked, "Did you get my drift?"

-Where do you find giant snails? On the ends of giant's fingers.

-When I was in the supermarket I saw a man and a woman wrapped in a barcode. I asked "Are you two an item?"

-When she told me I was average, she was just being mean.

-This duck walks into a bar and orders a beer. "Four bucks," says the bartender. "Put it on my bill."

-A dog with his leg wrapped in bandages hobbles into a saloon. He sidles up to the bar and announces "I'm lookin' fer the man who shot my paw."

-A termite walks into a bar and says "Is the bar tender here?"

-Four fonts walk into a bar. The barman says "Hey get out! We don't want your type in here!"

What did the math teacher call his new tree? A trigonometree

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road.

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"

"Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'" "That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome." "Is it common?" "Well, It's Not Unusual."

Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted,"Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"

I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

Two termites walk into a bar. One asks, "Is the bar tender here?"

A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!".

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron," The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why," they asked, as they moved off. "Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ...A super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

Two muffins are baking in an oven. The first muffin says, "wow, it's really getting hot in here." The second muffin says, "Wow... a talking muffin ! "

There was the person who sent ten different puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.


	24. Happiness :))

✂︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ✡︎□︎◆︎ ? ﾸﾎ◻︎✂︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ■︎□︎ ⬧︎⧫︎❒︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎❒︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ●︎□︎❖︎ ︎

✡︎□︎◆︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎●︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎□︎ ︎□︎ ✋︎

✌︎ ︎◆︎●︎●︎ ︎□︎❍︎❍︎ ︎⧫︎❍︎ ︎■︎⧫︎? ﾸﾎ⬧︎ ⬥︎ ︎ ︎⧫︎ ✋︎? ﾸﾎ❍︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎■︎&︎ ︎■︎ ︎ □︎ ︎

✡︎□︎◆︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎ ︎■︎? ﾸﾎ⧫︎ ︎ ︎⧫︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎□︎❍︎ ︎■︎⍓︎ □︎⧫︎ ︎ ︎❒︎ ︎◆︎⍓︎

✋︎ &︎◆︎⬧︎⧫︎ ⬥︎ ︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎ ✋︎? ﾸﾎ❍︎ ︎ ︎ ︎●︎ ︎■︎ ︎

︎□︎⧫︎⧫︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎❒︎⬧︎⧫︎ ︎■︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❖︎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ □︎⧫︎ ︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎ ●︎□︎■︎ ︎

✡︎□︎◆︎❒︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎? ﾸﾎ⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎◆︎⧫︎

✡︎□︎◆︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ⧫︎□︎□︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎⧫︎

✋︎■︎⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ⬥︎ ︎ ︎□︎⧫︎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎ ⬥︎ ︎ ︎⧫︎? ﾸﾎ⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎□︎ ︎■︎ ︎ □︎■︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❍︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ⬥︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ◻︎●︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎⧫︎

✌︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎⬧︎&︎ ❍︎ ︎ ︎□︎⬥︎ ✋︎? ﾸﾎ❍︎ ︎ ︎ ︎●︎ ︎■︎ ︎

? ﾸﾎ□︎■︎? ﾸﾎ⧫︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ❍︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ⧫︎□︎□︎ ︎●︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬧︎ ︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎□︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎✆︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎□︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎✆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ■︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎✆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ■︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎✆︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❖︎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ □︎⧫︎ ︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎ ●︎□︎■︎ ︎

✡︎□︎◆︎❒︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎? ﾸﾎ⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎◆︎⧫︎

✡︎□︎◆︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ⧫︎□︎□︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎⧫︎

✋︎■︎⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ⬥︎ ︎ ︎□︎⧫︎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎ ⬥︎ ︎ ︎⧫︎? ﾸﾎ⬧︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎□︎ ︎■︎ ︎ □︎■︎

? ﾸﾎ ︎ &︎■︎□︎⬥︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❍︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ⬥︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❒︎ ︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ◻︎●︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎⧫︎

✋︎ &︎◆︎⬧︎⧫︎ ⬥︎ ︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎ ✋︎? ﾸﾎ❍︎ ︎ ︎ ︎●︎ ︎■︎ ︎

︎□︎⧫︎⧫︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎❒︎⬧︎⧫︎ ︎■︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎❖︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ◆︎◻︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎□︎⬥︎■︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ❍︎ ︎&︎ ︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ︎❒︎⍓︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎□︎□︎ ︎ ︎⍓︎ ︎

︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ︎□︎■︎■︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎ ●︎ ︎ ︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎

.-..-. -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. .-..-. / .- . .-. .-. . / -. - / ... - .-. .- -. -. . .-. ... / - - / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- / -.- -. - .- / - ... . / .-. ..- .-.. . ... / .- -. -.. / ... - / -.. - / .. / .- / ..-. ..- .-.. .-.. / -.-. - - - .. - - . -. - .-. ... / .- ... .- - / .. .-. - / - ... .. -. -.- .. -. -. / - ..-. / -.- - ..- / .- - ..- .-.. -.. -. .-. - / -. . - / - ... .. ... / ..-. .-. - - / .- -. -.- / - - ... . .-. / -. ..- -.- / .. / .- ..- ... - / .- .- -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / -.- - ..- / ... - .- / .. .-. - / ..-. . . .-.. .. -. -. / -. - - - .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..- / .- . .-. ...- . / -.- -. - .- -. / . .- -.-. ... / - - ... . .-. / ..-. - .-. / ... - / .-.. - -. -. / -.- - ..- .-. / ... . .- .-. - .-. ... / -... . . -. / .- -.-. ... .. -. -. -..- / -... ..- - / -.- - ..- .-. .-. . / - - - / ... ... -.- / - - / ... .- -.- / .. - / .. -. ... .. -.. . -..- / .- . / -... - - ... / -.- -. - .- / .- ... .- - .-. ... / -... . . -. / -. - .. -. -. / - -. / .- . / -.- -. - .- / - ... . / -. .- - . / .- -. -.. / .- . .-. .-. . / -. - -. -. .- / .-. .-.. .- -.- / .. - / .- -. -.. / .. ..-. / -.- - ..- / .- ... -.- / - . / ... - .- / .. .-. - / ..-. . . .-.. .. -. -. / -.. - -. .-. - / - . .-.. .-.. / - . / -.- - ..- .-. .-. . / - - - / -... .-.. .. -. -.. / - - / ... . . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..- / -.-.- - - ... -..- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. -.-.- / -.-.- - - ... -..- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. -.-.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . -..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.-.- -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. -.-.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . -..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.-.- -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. -.-.- / .- . .-. ...- . / -.- -. - .- -. / . .- -.-. ... / - - ... . .-. / ..-. - .-. / ... - / .-.. - -. -. / -.- - ..- .-. / ... . .- .-. - .-. ... / -... . . -. / .- -.-. ... .. -. -. -..- / -... ..- - / -.- - ..- .-. .-. . / - - - / ... ... -.- / - - / ... .- -.- / .. - / .. -. ... .. -.. . -..- / .- . / -... - - ... / -.- -. - .- / .- ... .- - .-. ... / -... . . -. / -. - .. -. -. / - -. / .- . / -.- -. - .- / - ... . / -. .- - . / .- -. -.. / .- . .-. .-. . / -. - -. -. .- / .-. .-.. .- -.- / .. - / .. / .- ..- ... - / .- .- -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / -.- - ..- / ... - .- / .. .-. - / ..-. . . .-.. .. -. -. / -. - - - .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- / ..- .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-.. . - / -.- - ..- / -.. - .- -. / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / .-. ..- -. / .- .-. - ..- -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.. . ... . .-. - / -.- - ..- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - .- -.- . / -.- - ..- / -.-. .-. -.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / ... .- -.- / -. - - -.. -... -.- . / -. . ...- . .-. / -. - -. -. .- / - . .-.. .-.. / .- / .-.. .. . / .- -. -.. / ... ..- .-. - / -.- - ..-

❄︎ ︎ ︎ ✌︎? ﾸﾎ❄︎? ﾸﾎ✌︎ ︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✌︎? ﾸﾎ❄︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ? ﾸﾎ✋︎ ︎ ︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ❄︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎❄︎✋︎? ﾸﾎ ︎ ❄︎ ︎✋︎? ﾸﾎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎✌︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ✡︎ ✌︎? ﾸﾎ ︎✋︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ✏︎


	25. The Sunken Resiam

**That joke chapter was quite PUNishing eh? ;)**

 **In all seriousness, though I want to apologize if my content seems a bit lazy as of late. I don't have as much time to work on this story as I did before. It's not because of school work (for once) and it's not because I've gotten lazy. I've recently dedicated large chunks of my day planning for a comic! I've literally been planning and refining my current skills since the start of this year for this project. This is the longest I've ever dedicated my time and efforts into an original story, and I plan on seeing this project to the very end.**

 **This doesn't mean I'll be dropping this story! The only difference now is that chapters will be published slower to compensate for my lack of time and to hopefully provide better content. I'll still edit Yin Yang whenever I get the time and eventually, I'll start refining the chapters to this story.**

 **Thank you, everyone, for sticking with this story for so long and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

" **...So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr…" Hamlet (1.2.139-140)**

Exploring Hamel's waters felt surreal, the mermaid's spell allowed us to breathe as if the water was an alternative to air but we still had to manoeuvre through the means of swimming. We could still feel the water resisting our every move. For the first minute we awed at the diverse marine life buzzing around us, it felt like we stepped into a completely different universe. Amos had the most fun out of all of us, chasing fish and poking at colourful plants regardless of Eve and Raven's disapproval of his actions.

I wish I could've uncoiled myself from my worries and uncertainty like Amos. If I wasn't so anxious about underwater demons or the possibility of losing another friend I would've enjoyed the new scenery for a much longer period of time.

"Be on your guard," Laguz warned as we proceeded deeper into water's depth. "We have encountered several demons around these areas."

"Amos, stay close to me," Raven ordered. When the young Ponggo continued to act aloof Raven repeated himself, this time with more authority.

"I'm just trying to have some fun," Amos whined, reluctantly returning to his caregiver's side.

"This isn't a place to have fun," Raven chided sternly. "You could get killed if you're not careful."

"You overreact too much," he muttered.

"It's for your own good."

Amos huffed in frustration and turned his head away from Raven.

I was tempted to remind Amos about his near-death experience with the shadow stinger, though I decided it'd be best not to irritate him any further.

"My Lord, when we locate Sasha will you return to the castle?" Laguz asked Chung, slowing down her swimming pace to be beside him.

"Maybe," Chung replied flatly. "I haven't thought of going home for a while."

"Please put some consideration into it," Laguz persisted, her voice filled with worry. "I feel your return will give our people hope again. Besides, Daisy and Rod would be most excited to see you alive and well."

"Rod happy about seeing me again?" Chung snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"I think you underestimate our King's love for you," Chung's jawline tightened at her remark. "Oh, how joyous he will be when he sees you walking in the castle! I can already imagine the party dedicated to your return."

"You're being ridiculous, Laguz," Chung chuckled dryly. "You and I both know how selfish my uncle is. He wouldn't throw me a party even if I brought home a wife."

"Oh, I know, but I have hope that he will be much more welcoming to you and your friends."

"And why would you think that?"

"While King Rod may not wish to celebrate your return, his Queen would be more than happy to welcome you back."

A school of fish parted as we swam through. Amos giggled, trying to grab the passing swarm.

"His Queen? " Chung burst out laughing. "Laguz, who would want to marry a man like him?"

"Why Daisy would!" Laguz exclaimed with excitement while Chung looked like he was just slapped by Eve.

"You're joking, r-right?"

"I was quite incredulous when I first heard of their marriage." Laguz agreed. "She wed him a year after he rose to power."

"I-I can't believe it," Chung's swimming pace slowed down. "Daisy and my uncle, together? Why would she throw her life away for a scum like Rod?"

"Please keep an open mind, My Lord." Laguz chided. "It should be a known fact that Daisy has always had an eye out for the current King. It was only a matter of time before-"

"That's enough, Laguz." Chung used his authoritative tone for the first time since we met Laguz. She flinched away from him as if his words had physically hurt her. "Can you please just focus on guiding us?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness." She bowed curtly to him before swimming ahead, leaving behind a bigger gap between her and our group this time.

Chung sighed and lowered his head. Normally I'd try to comfort him and see what was wrong, but I felt like I couldn't get close to him because of his high status. I wanted to divert my eyes away and continue swimming, but Eun pushed me to console him, telling me I shouldn't leave him alone to sulk.

Why are the hardest options always the right ones?

I sheepishly swam to his side, he didn't seem to realise I was there," hey," I greeted softly. He acknowledged my presence with a curt nod. "Er...everything okay?"

"Not really," I was caught off guard at his honest answer. "I just hate talking about my uncle." He elaborated bitterly.

"Is it because of your father?" I asked with a second of hesitation.

"Yeah, that's part of it," Chung said after a long pause. "He's not dead yet. How could they replace him so quickly with someone as selfish and unreliable as Rod?"

"Chung, I-" I stopped myself from going any further. What was I supposed to say to him? I didn't have the slightest clue of what I should say to make him feel better in this situation. A part of me wanted to embrace him and allow our physical contact to provide him comfort, but another warned me not to be so affectionate with someone of royal descent.

"He was a good King, a good dad." Chung went on softly. I shut my mouth and listened. "If he was on the throne he'd be sending hundreds of men out to search for Sasha without the spirits' pleads. My uncle, on the other hand, could care less about Sasha. He's too cowardly to decrease the number of men in the castle, too selfish to care about the life of an innocent girl."

"Chung, I-I'm so sorry," I told him gently. "I might not understand what you're going through yet, b-but I want you to know that I'll be here for you. W-we're all here for you."

He locked eyes with me, an empty smile stretching on his face," thanks for trying to cheer me up, Ara." I knew for sure I couldn't help him anymore.

"N-no problem," I sheepishly withdrew from his side and turned away.

"Oh my, I didn't know they had the Red Knights involved already." Laguz's comment made my heart drop. I instinctively scanned the area, spotting several crimson knights swimming just ahead. Just like us, they were being led several blue-skinned mermaids.

"Laguz, why are those knights down here?" Chung interrogated our guide at once. I shakily aimed my spear at Laguz, I had no doubt Elsword and Raven were mirroring me.

Laguz glanced over her shoulder, furrowing her brows at our drawn weapons," despite our king's small participation in finding Sasha we have not come across any new leads. It was rumoured couple days ago that the Red Knights would be aiding in our search, I didn't think they were down here already." She twisted her body around to face us. "My Lord, why are your friends acting so hostile toward me?"

"Sorry, we were just being cautious," I said, lowering my spear. We had all stopped swimming at this point which confused Laguz even further.

"Laguz, we can't be spotted by the Knights," Chung explained in haste. "Is there any other place the Priestess could've gone; preferably a secluded spot?"

Laguz tilted her head at his request," I don't understand why you want to avoid those kind men, but if you insist—"she rubbed her chin thoughtfully"—I suppose we could try searching in the sunken sections of the Resiam. Demon activity has risen drastically in that area as of late, though I don't recommend going. We could try-."

"That sounds good to me," Chung and Elsword answered at the same time. Laguz dropped her jaw at their unified response.

"My Lord, I don't think you understand the strength of the demons in that area." Her blue eyes wordlessly pleaded Chung to change his mind. "Perhaps we could find another route to avoid the crimson knights. I-it's a bit out in the open but-"

"Laguz, my team is more than capable of fighting demons." A hint of pride resonated in his voice. "Just lead us into the ruins and let us take care of the fighting."

"A-as you wish, My Lord."

* * *

It took us an extra half hour to arrive at the infamous ruins. The continuous swimming strained our already tired muscles, but the challenges never stopped coming from here on out. Just as Laguz had feared, shadowy demons lurked around every corner. What scared me the most was the fact that I couldn't sense their presence nearby.

As we fought through our unexpected attackers it soon became clear that combat was going to be a huge issue. Our movements were slower, and it took greater effort for us to swing and lunge our weapons at the demons. Laguz urged us several times to leave the ruins and continue on an alternative route, but we couldn't risk being caught by Knights. At least here, in the dark demon infested parts of the ocean, we were safe from Red Knights.

"So, what was the ocean like before the foreign demons attacked?" Elsword asked as a way to fill in the silence.

"It was beautiful," Laguz answered wistfully. "Even when our local demons posed an ongoing danger at least we knew what they wanted and how to deal with them. The demons would hardly ever attack Hamel citizens unless they were provoked or someone wandered too far into their territory."

"I wish we could have met under different circumstances," Eve piped in. "Perhaps we would be swimming for fun rather than for a mission."

"I bet our rascal of a kid would've enjoyed chasing after the fish," Raven added jokingly.

"You bet I would! The ocean is awesome!" Amos beamed. I was glad he no longer held a grudge against Raven for yelling at him.

"Yes, but even then I doubt we'd be able to swim carelessly through the sea." Laguz sighed.

"How come?" I questioned. From what we've been told Hamel sounded like paradise before Karis took control of its demons' loyalty.

"During King Helputt's final months in power, foreign demons were often spotted in the outskirts and the demon activity within our city's borders were drastically increasing." That name made my throat tighten. I glanced over at Chung, he was white as the armour he adorned. Now I understood why that name means so much to him.

"King Helputt did everything he could to calm our native demons and fend off the invaders. Alas, our noble King lost his mind to the demons' strange powers. He went mad when-"

"Laguz," Chung cut her off, his voice edging with rage. "I think you've said enough."

The mermaid's shoulders rose," s-sorry, My Lord. I shouldn't have revealed so much."

"Concentrate on guiding us through the ruins," he commanded, seemingly not caring for her apology. "Don't get distracted by past events."

"Y-yes, M-My Lord." With a curt bow, she swam several feet ahead, not daring to flash Chung a single glance.

Once again a deafening silence fell between us. Chung looked more distraught than when Laguz first mentioned his uncle. I wanted to so badly ease the internal storm ripping him apart, but I was scared my ignorant words would further his emotional chaos. How can I, a simple village girl, understand and comfort a Prince like him?

The more I refrained myself from being close to him the more my chest ached.

 _You have provided him with comfort before you knew about his past. What makes it so different now?_

I was grateful Eun was willing to help me with my dilemma but it also irked me that it couldn't understand how I was perceiving the situation

"You'll have to tell us the details eventually," Elsword was the first to speak up." That or we find our more from an outside source."

"I know," he said, his voice losing its initial strength. "Just...give me some time. It's too much for me to handle right now."

I'll be willing to listen, I wanted to say to him. Instead, I bit down on my tongue and kept my mouth shut.

A high pitched scream altered our attention away from Chung's past. I held my spear defensively, but instead of greeted with hostile demons I saw Laguz frozen in place, screaming and pointing down below. Chung lowered his cannon and swam towards her, we followed behind him.

"What's wrong?" Chung probed hastily.

"I-I see something that belongs to Sasha," Laguz cried, eyes glued down below.

I averted my gaze down, catching glimpse of the blue fabric caught at the edge of a grey rock. It fluttered gently in place as if a soft breeze was blowing through it. Chung curtly ordered Laguz to stay put before advancing downwards, we followed in his pursuit.

"Does it really belong to Sasha?" Raven inquired once we caught up with Chung.

We tentatively encircled the stray cloth like it was an unidentified animal. Amos reached out to touch it but both Raven and Eve refrained him from tampering with the evidence. With a huff, he retreated back.

Chung squinted his eyes at the swaying fabric," it looks like something she would wear." It was unnerving to hear the doubt in his voice. "Ara, do your heightened senses work under water?"

"I haven't been able to sense nearby demons since we came down here," I told him truthfully.

Chung cursed once again, glaring at our only lead like it was the face of his worst enemy.

"Don't worry, man," Elsword pat Chung on the back. "If she's down here we will find her. Dead or alive."

"It'll take forever if we don't have Ara's heightened sense of smell to help us," Chung hammered his cannon onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand. "If Sasha's still alive we might not be able to find her in time."

"Well that's one way to look at it," Speka commented sarcastically.

"In that case, we should start our search as soon as possible," Eve pointed out, already beginning her way back to Laguz. "If this clothing piece truly belongs to the Priestess then she should not be far from here."

"Eve's right," Raven concluded with a firm nod. "We should ask Laguz if the ruins extend to any other locations, Sasha may have hidden there."

One by one our team rose up to join the distressed mermaid, Eve and Elsword interrogated her the instant she was in earshot. Chung, however, did not move a muscle. Needless to say, I refused to leave him alone.

"Come on," I prodded. "We're wasting precious time here."

"We'd practically be searching in the dark," Chung continued his pessimistic thoughts. "The chances of Sasha making it out alive is close to none."

"It's better than taking no action at all," I assured him.

"It wouldn't make a difference," my blood boiled at his continuous negativity. "She's been missing for days, even if she came across the ruins there's no sure chance that she'd still be here."

"There's still a chance we can find her."

"Who knows how long that'll take? By the time we find her it could be too late!"

"What is your problem?!" Now it was my turn to plunge my weapon into the grainy floor. A murky curtain arose between us. "You've been nothing but gloomy ever since we came down here. Can you at least try and pretend to be hopeful?"

"Hopeful?" He repeated with disgust. "Being _hopeful_ won't change the fact that we might not ever be able to find Sasha! We can search and hope all we want but that won't bring her back!"

The others were murmuring amongst themselves now, I could see it at the corner of my eye. Even without the aid of my enhanced hearing I knew they were concerned about us—more specifically Chung.

"The others are willing to do anything to find Sasha alive, and what are you doing?" I shoved my finger into his chest. "You're moping as if we've already found her dead."

"I'm not treating it like she's dead! I'm just saying it's impossible to find her down here without a solid lead. A piece of cloth—"he snatched the blue fabric and waved it in my face"—doesn't prove she's remotely close to the area!"

I slapped his hand out of my line of view," yes, you're right, but at least it gives us a glimmer of hope in this predicament!"

"Hope means nothing when everything can get snatched away from us!" He swung his fist at a nearby rock, visibly wincing from the hit. I gasped, frozen on the spot.

His fingers uncurled around the silk cloth, allowing the ocean's unseen fingers to pull it away.

"What's going on?" I forcefully dropped the tone of my voice. "Why are you acting like this, Chung."

He clicked his tongue in frustration," it's my uncle's wife." I was confused by his answer but I listened regardless. "I always saw Daisy as a motherly figure, especially since I grew up without my real mom. She took care of me under my father's orders, though I doubt he needed to command her to look out for me." He smiled at the distant memory. "It feels weird to know the woman I see as my own mother is now married to my uncle. I just-" He paused. "Forget it, you wouldn't understand." He turned his back to me.

"You're right again, I don't understand. I'll never be able to understand," my insides churned as I inched closer to him, my heart, on the other hand, leapt with both joy and fear. "But I know enough to say you don't have to go through _this_ alone. Our group is far from perfect but we've still got each other's backs."

Without thinking I took his hand into mine, the simple touch sent electricity up my arm, if we weren't surrounded by water I had no doubt my palms would be running with sweat. Chung wordlessly intertwined his fingers with mine, eyes still glued to a spot in space.

"Come on," I gestured to our group. "Everyone's waiting for us."

I kicked myself off the sandy ground and began swimming up, Chung luckily followed my lead without complaints. We mutely swam back to the rest of our team, our hands continuing to link us together.

"M-My Lord," Laguz greeted us upon arrival. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he answered flatly. "So are we gonna search for Sasha or what?"

"Y-yes, we should begin the search as soon as possible," Laguz rolled her eyes down at our joined hands. At once Chung and I let go of each other. While my cheeks burned hotter than a thousand suns my hand yearned to be hugged by his warmth again. Laguz shot us a strange look before guiding us further into the Resiam.

We explored the ruins with reckless abandon. I lost track of how many times we got jumped and how many times we barely won each fight. Hours, minutes and seconds quickly became irrelevant to us, all that mattered was finding Sasha.

Hamel's underwater terrain was lit up in an amber hue when Laguz finally felt something was wrong. We were still swimming through the ruins of the Resiam, muscles burning from lactic acid. While Laguz could glide through the water with relative ease our team was noticeably getting further and further away from her. Even Amos, who was so psyched to explore the underwater kingdom, was complaining about the nonstop journey.

"I-I smell something," Laguz informed us tersely. For the first time since we began searching, we stopped swimming. I cherished every moment where I wasn't required to push against the water's force.

"You can smell down here?" Elsword blurted jokingly. "Damn, I'd go mad if I had to smell fish all day."

"What are you picking up?" Eve inquired, ignoring Elsword's humour.

Laguz frowned," I-I think it's blood, b-but I'm not sure if it's animal or human blood."

"It's worth checking out," Raven commented with a yawn.

"We should take a small break if it ends up being nothing," Elsword suggested. "Er...is everyone cool with that?" Almost everyone nodded in response. I'd be willing to kill for a small break.

"I just pray we don't encounter anything horrific," Laguz said as she began swimming ahead. With I groan I forced my heavy legs to kick against the salty water. "Your team is already worn from the day's work."

It was almost impossible for me to push my muscles any further, my arms and legs were burning so much I was convinced they were actually on fire. Although I did feel a bit better seeing how the rest of my team was grunting and struggling as much as I was.

"It's getting stronger," Laguz announced, seemingly oblivious to our drastically slow pace. "I think I can hear some commotion up ahead." The only thing I could hear was the pounding blood in my ears.

"Raven, I don't like it down here," Amos whimpered. "It's scary."

"Don't worry, kiddo," Raven said in between heavy breaths. "We'll be out in no time."

I was so preoccupied with my jelly-like muscles that I didn't take notice in the buildings encircling us. The abundance of large structures and detailed houses indicated we've arrived at the rich portion of the Resiam, or what was left of it. The colossal towers and houses made me feel even smaller in this endless sea.

A muffled screech that can only be described as nails running down chalkboard raised all red flags in my head. Before I had a chance to ask Laguz what the sound was we broke off in hysteric screams.

"N-no, no, no, what are they doing here?!" She screeched, grasping tightly onto her hair.

"Laguz, what are you talking about?" Chung hurried by her side.

"M-My Lord, I-I see Coral Sea Serpents fighting below."

"What?!" Chung exclaimed. Curious to know what caused both Chung and Laguz to lose their mind, I swam closer to the duo.

Looking ahead I saw a battle raging between a hoard of inky demons and two snake-like monsters. Each serpent's body reached the length of two school buses, their colossal red fins giving the illusion of having wings. Cerulean fins shimmered under the golden sunlight with each twist and turn the serpents made. The battle roared in the remains of a church, a majority of the battlefield was concealed by the building's pearly white walls.

"They're supposed to be inhabiting the far seas," Chung thought to himself out loud. "What are they doing here?"

"Laguz, is it normal for the foreign demons to attack local ones?" Elsword interrogated at once.

"Y-yes, but the serpents should not be in these parts of the water, to begin with. The only time they return is during the Harmony Festival when Sasha purifies the Sacred Jewel and ocean."

"Maybe they got driven away from their old territory?" Eve speculated.

Laguz shook her head," these serpents live far from our lands. Even if the invading demons found their home they'd have to dive deep into the ocean to locate them."

"Then what other reason would cause them to return?" I challenged next.

"Maybe this has something to do with Sasha," Chung hypothesised. "I learned from my father that water Priests or Priestesses has deep connections with local demons."

"There is no certainty that the serpents have returned because of Sasha, My Lord. I suggest we leave this dangerous area as soon as possible."

"We still need to check if Sasha is the cause of the serpents' return." I proclaimed in a heartbeat. Knowing Chung was already drowning in doubt about our success, I had no choice but to stay persistent for him.

Laguz gawked at me," I mean no offence, but investigating your hunch would be suicidal."

I wanted to roll my eyes and laugh. As if _this_ was the most dangerous thing we've had to face.

"We don't have to get involved with the fight," I explained to her coolly. "If Sasha isn't around then we leave, if she is then we have no choice but to fight." I locked eyes with Chung. "We need to make sure she isn't down there."

Laguz turned to Chung," there is no possible way you would agree with her, right?"

Chung avoided looking at the mermaid," I mean if we're just looking then-"

"Do you not understand the danger that comes with her plan?!" Laguz practically screamed in his face. "What if you get hurt in the fight; or worse?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Laguz," Chung scowled. "I can fend for myself when it comes down to it."

"We don't have time to argue," Elsword cut into their small disagreement. "If Sasha is really down there then we need to help her as soon as we can. If not then we're wasting valuable time."

"We're just going down to check," I reassured the mermaid. "The serpents' conflict with the demons are none of our concern, I promise."

"For your friends' sake, I hope Sasha isn't down there." Laguz puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"Come on," Eve waved us to keep going. "Let us check out the scene."

"Amos, stay close to my side," Raven commanded the Ponggo at once.

"I wasn't even thinking of wandering off," Amos grumbled angrily.

We gingerly manoeuvred toward the battle. The closer we drew to our destination the more finicky Laguz grew. I couldn't blame her, one hit from either of the serpent's tail could lead to several broken ribs and a punctured lung. As we circled around the ruins of the old church our vantage point improved.

The serpents were fighting the army of demons alone, from the looks of it, they were winning. I studied the environment further until my eyes caught an unusual figure leaning against the broken wall of the church. The mysterious human-like figure was rested just behind the blood-thirsty serpents. Even from afar I could make out their aqua-green robe.

"Sasha!" Laguz's expression dropped in horror at Chung's announcement. I exchanged wordless glances with the rest of my team, each of us mortified at our unexpected finding.

"My Lord, I will not allow you and your friends to face the serpents and demons." Laguz swam in front of Chung, arms crossed. "It is far too dangerous, especially since your group is fatigued enough."

"We can't just leave her here," Chung exasperated.

"I will inform the Hamel Knights immediately," Laguz insisted. "They will have a better grasp of the situation than you and your group can. I cannot allow you to throw yourselves recklessly at the serpents."

"I don't think it's the serpents we need to worry about," Elsword's remark made Laguz's eye twitch. "Look—"he pointed at the ongoing fight"—the serpents haven't touched Sasha at all during the fight."

Elsword had a good point. While the twin serpents fought the shadowy demons with all their might they paid little to no attention to the unconscious Priestess. In fact, they look like they're trying to protect her from the invading demons.

"Elsword has a fair point," Eve said with an approving nod. "Our only real threat is the shadow demons."

 _Or they could be fighting off the foreign demons to secure their prey._

'Eun, you're not helping.' I scowled. At least only I had knowledge of what it had to say about this matter.

 _I am simply stating one of many possibilities. I apologise if you could not take it lightly, but you cannot disregard my suggestion._

"My Lord, your chances of survival will be slim in that battle," Laguz continued to defend her point. "The serpents do not appear to be hostile with the Priestess, so I have no reason to believe they will be of any threat to her. I suggest we go about this safely and contact other Knights to deal with the demons."

"I usually like taking the safe route," Raven admitted. "But how can we be sure Sasha will still be here when we go and get help?"

"The serpents are strong. Look at them now, they are able to fight off the invaders with relative ease."

"The demon army may have stronger and bigger reinforcements." Eve cautioned next. "While the army can continuously attack the serpents with fresh soldiers, the mentioned sea serpents will remain weary from battle."

"Remember, Sasha is our only lead right now." I prayed I didn't say too much about our mission.

"Lead? Lead to what?" Laguz's ignorance eased my paranoia.

"We need to take action quickly," I informed Chung specifically. At the same time, Eun encapsulated me with its power, catching Laguz off guard. "Time isn't something we have on our side."

"You're right," Chung bobbed his head in agreement. The rest of the team smiled at his decision while Laguz gawked at him. "It's dangerous but we don't have much of a choice at this time."

"M-My Lord-"

"We're going to fight," Chung promptly cut her off. In his most assertive tone, he added," You can choose to help us or not, but we're going to help save Sasha from the foreign troops."

Sasha bowed her head in defeat," a-as you wish, My Lord." She flashed me a nasty look before retreating back from our team. I decided not to tell Chung about the mermaid's disrespectful gesture.

"Amos, please remain here with Laguz," Eve commanded.

"For once I agree with that plan," Amos exhaled. "My arms and legs are too tired to fight anyways." For once Eve and Raven looked pleased with his answer.

"Laguz, please watch over him for us," Chung ordered in a milder tone. Laguz bowed and gestured the young Ponggo to her side.

"Elsword, what do you think we should do?" I purposely pinned the leadership role back on him.

"I-I don't know," Elsword narrowed his eyes on the battlefield. "Our movements are drastically slower underwater so any sneak attacks wouldn't go well."

"Maybe we can ignore stealth and go head-first into the battle," Raven purposed.

"I-I think it's too risky," Elsword sheepishly critiqued. "B-but that might be our only option at this point."

"In that case, we should stay close together," I advised, drawing from my early experience of fighting alongside Elsword and Aisha. "It'll help us cover each other's weak points."

"Y-yeah, sounds good."

I fidgeted with my spear, butterflies tickling my stomach. Even with an El Shard by our side and the strength of the entire team I still felt unsure about our success. We were _extremely_ lucky with our past fights, but it's become apparent that our fortune was quickly running dry. Who knows who we might lose next? Elsword; Eve, Raven, and god forbid Chung? One thing's for sure, we needed to stay extra cautious if we wanted to see the sun rise again.

"Let's get this over with," Speka swallowed.

Elsword tentatively dove to our destination, we all hesitantly followed his lead. Amos loudly wished us 'good luck' while Laguz remained silent, no doubt horrified for our well-being.

"No one is allowed to break from the group," Elsword said as we neared the fight. Several enemy demons took quick notice of our approach and were now swimming up to meet us. Chung and Speka punctually assaulted the approaching threats with long-ranged attacks.

 _Do not let your focus waver in the fight, Child. Our movements are much slower than usual._

We engaged in the ongoing battle as soon as Eun recited its warning. Without a moment of hesitation, we barged into the heart of the demon army, all the while keeping our backs pressed against one another.

No a minute into the battle I found myself struggling to fend off even the smallest of demons. The water's resistance made it feel like my shoulders and legs were weighed down by boulders, and the internal burning of my muscles only made it harder for me to lift my spear and attack. To make matters worse, I often found myself being swept away from my team as the serpents stirred up rogue currents with a single swipe of their tail.

It was a miracle the serpents didn't lay a single fang on us. Perhaps if we ventured closer to their vicinity they'd treat us like one of the enemy demons—I had no intentions of testing this theory out, howeve.

"How's everyone holding up!?" Elsword bellowed at one point in the battle.

"I-I don't know how long I can keep this up!" Raven's response accurately mirrored my thoughts.

"It's too difficult to fight underwater," I grunted as my spear barely saved me from a demon's mountainous fist. With a roar, I pushed my opponent back. If I was on land I would've slashed my spear across its exposed chest, cutting a diagonal line from the left hip to its right shoulder. I cursed at my sluggish movements and disengaged with my prey. Before I had the chance to recover a bulky demon closed in on me from my left. I twisted myself around to block its attack, but due to the water's extra resistance, I couldn't react in time.

A piercing pain shot up from my abdominal region. The small wound burned my flesh like acid, its corrosive effect seemed to ripple through the rest of my body. I grinded my teeth and lunged my spear into the demon's dead, successfully killing it in one blow. With a cry of anger, I yanked my blade out and returned to my defensive stance, each movement sending spikes of pain up my spine.

I was seeing stars at this point, the ocean's salt sizzling my exposed wound. I was sure it would only deepen my cut.

"Elsword, I-I can't keep fighting!" My knees nearly buckled beneath me as I use my spear to stop another demon from pouncing on me.

"She's right," Speka screamed over the cries of our enemies. "We can't keep up this fight any longer!"

"I-I know," Elsword stammered. "B-but we'll get mauled to death i-if we stop fighting to escape!"

Streaks of crimson red drifted into sight. I could only hope that the source of the blood was a demon.

Victory was slipping further and further away with each agonising minute. I cursed the sea water for not only slowing my movements but also further straining my limbs. It was impossible for me to attack at this point, defending against continuous blows was quickly becoming a challenge as well. My spear felt like a cannon ball and my arms were as useful as wet spaghetti. It was only natural that I'd sustain more cuts on my forearms and legs.

I instinctively backed further into my group. I could barely focus on the hordes of demons closing in on me, their hostile snarls was drowned in the cries of my own heartbeat; their continuous pursuits was less significant than the scalding pain in my open wounds.

"I see the Priestess!" A foreign voice sounded somewhere in the battlefield.

"Men, fight the intruding demons like we practised!"

A fierce battle cry howled, startling both us and the enemy demons. Before I had the chance to acknowledge the new voices' presence I took quick notice of the army of men, all clad in white armour, charging into the battle. Like us, they were accompanied by several mermaids. Their abrupt presence thankfully drew a majority of the demons' attention away. Although we were weak and tired from the fight, we continued to stand our ground. It wasn't long before our role in the fight was taken over by the new knights. I dispersed Eun's aura as soon as we were free from any more danger.

"My Lord!" Laguz rocketed toward us once most of the opposing demons had fallen, dragging Amos behind by the wrist. "I told you not to pursue the fight!"

For the first time since we entered the battlefield, I looked at my team. Everyone was scratched or bruised in some way. I didn't want to imagine our fate if the knights hadn't come in time. Laguz let Amos go once she joined up with our group. The young Ponggo swam to Eve and Raven's side, greeting both his tired guardians with a hug. While Raven and Eve looked as if they've just escaped from a tornado, Amos' embrace filled their eyes with life again.

"Laguz, where did all these knights come from?!" Elsword winced, crimson liquid rose from his shoulder like smoke.

"I don't know," Laguz studied the continuous fight with knitted brows. "I didn't think the knights would dare to enter these parts of the water, it's far too dangerous."

"We should be grateful that they did." Chung limped his way over to my side.

"Grateful?" Speka gawked. "Did you forget we're criminals? These knights will only add onto our problems."

Laguz shrieked at Speka's claim," criminals?!" She turned to Chung, eyes big as golf balls," M-My Lord, is that true?"

"They're Hamel Knights," Chung specified evenly. "I can probably deal with them myself."

"And what if you can't?" Raven tested. Chung shifted on the spot at his accusation. "What if they don't recognise you as the Prince because of your supposed crime?"

"W-we can't exactly fight them either," Chung examined the dozens of knights engaged in battle. "If that happens then our journey is most definitely over."

"M-My Lord," Laguz meekly approached Chung. "W-why are you a criminal?"

Almost everyone shot him a tight look. We all had an idea of Laguz's deep knitted relationship with Chung's family, but we weren't comfortable enough to tell her the truth. At least not yet.

Chung turned his head away," it's a long story, Laguz. Just know we didn't mean to do what we did."

Laguz continued to press Chung to reveal the truth to her, but he was adamant to stay silent. I felt a stronger sense of respect for him. Chung's loyalty to his friends, despite the rocky terms we were on, was something to be admired.

It wasn't long before the demonic army was driven off by the Hamel Knight, though the sea serpents still did not seem satisfied. They continued to hiss and snarl at the new knights, I feared we would quickly become their next meal. Thankfully, Laguz approached the serpents, before matters could get any worse, and spoke to them in an unknown tongue. She used a tone that could ease a distressed infant to slumber, it wasn't long before the other mermaids jumped in to help her—their efforts lasted until the sky darkened.

When the serpents finally departed back to their home territory several knights rushed up to the fallen Priestess, frantically calling for her to wake up. I had no time to worry about Sasha' well-being as my team was now the centre of attention. Hamel Knights cut off all of our possible escape routes, each knight kept their weapons drawn against us. I instinctively raised my spear in response to the threat, everyone but Chung seemed to share my idea.

"Who are you, people?" A broad-shouldered man spoke tentatively to us. He wielded the largest sword out of the entire troop, I could only assume he was the captain of the group.

"Can you not see we're allies?" Chung stepped out of our circle to face the man, his head held high. Several knights pointed their blades at his movement while others remained frozen on the spot.

The man's blank faltered for a second. Chung took his moment of hesitation to continue talking," we tired the demon army out for you and _this_ is how you thank us?" He gestured to the hostile knights encasing our team. "Now that's not the right way to greet you prince's friends."

"Prince Seiker," the man greeted tightly. "I didn't think you'd be returning so soon."

"It's a good thing I came back. Who else is going to keep my poor excuse for an uncle in check?" He put his trembling hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth, his voice not wavering for a single second. "Hamel has been corrupted ever since he took the crown."

"My Lord, the current King is most efficient at running this kingdom. You underestimate the work he's put in for our people."

Chung forced out a humourless laugh," is he now? I would've thought otherwise with all the effort he's putting in to help the slums. Oh, and not to mention his delayed aid in the search for Sasha."

The man pursed his lips, with a heavy sigh he said," My Lord, you and your _friends_ are wanted criminals. Red Knights have specifically ordered us to capture-"

"Since when did you take orders from peasants?" Chung froze on the spot, eyes boring on the knight.

"My Lord-"

"When you became a _Hamel Knight_ you swore loyalty to the Royal Family—to my Father. Since when did you break your oath and work under nameless serfs?" It amazed me to see Chung speak to another person like that. I would've never thought he'd be able to hold so much power over another individual. It appears I don't know him as well as I'd hope to.

The man's jaw tightened," I-I apologise, My Lord. I didn't mean to offend you, but-"

"Did that wretched King order you to capture us?" Chung continued to pound the poor man with questions. When the man didn't answer I almost forgot how to breathe.

"N-no, he didn't specifically tell us to capture your group," the knight grumbled.

Chung's shoulders noticeably dropped," then you have no reason to capture your own prince." I could imagine Chung smirking as he said that. "Sheath your swords and lower your spears!"

Hamel Knights followed Chung's order without a word of doubt. In a split second every knight surrounding us had dropped their only means of defence. As a sign of respect, I also lowered my spear to prove to the knights that I wasn't a threat.

"Now," Chung continued his pacing. "I've had a _very_ long day and I wish to rest with my friends in peace."

"You should return to the castle, My Lord!" A young knight suggested, a toothy grin shining on his face. A collective nod rippled through most, if not all, of the knights.

Chung glanced back at us," I don't know if I can."

"The Queen would be delighted to see you again!" Another added.

"I...I need to discuss this with my team. For now, send Sasha back to the surface and do not speak of my return to a single soul."

"As you wish, My Lord," the captain bowed before spewing off orders to escort Sasha back.

Chung hastily turned his back on the captain and returned to our group. We wordlessly huddled around him," dude, I-I don't know what we should do." He confessed shakily. It was strange to hear him speaking so casually to us.

"From what I can gather, the King may not be pleased with our presence," Eve reminded us. "Perhaps it would not be wise to go to the castle."

"But someone also said something about the Queen being happy to see you," Speka recalled. "Maybe she'll change his mind."

Chung snorted," I doubt my uncle would like us even with her approval."

"It _would_ be a safe place for us to rest, though." I pointed out. "After today's adventure, we'll need all the resources we need to make a speedy recovery."

Chung snorted," I'd rather spend a few rough days out in the wilderness than to be thrown in the dungeons by my own uncle."

"It sounds like it's better not to stay at the castle," Elsword concluded grimly. "Man, I was really hoping to sleep in a bed for once too."

 _I suggest we go to the castle. Not only will we have a safe space to rest and recover but the royals may have vital information about the El Shard and Hamel's current state._ I quickly relayed Eun's message to the group.

"It's not that you don't have a point, Eun, but I'm just scared my uncle won't be cooperative with us," Chung replied uncomfortably.

 _He may be an inefficient King but he cannot deny the demon problem plaguing Hamel. Perhaps he will be more generous if we provide assistance._ Once again I relayed Eun's message back to him.

Chung pondered silently at its advice. When he didn't speak for several seconds Eun added, _besides, Sasha may be residing in the safety of the castle for a few days. If we wish to find the next Shard in time then we need to interrogate her as soon as possible._

"As much as I hate this plan, I think this is our only option at this point," Raven said once I voiced Eun's final thoughts.

"It's dangerous," Chung cautioned. "I don't know what my uncle will do to us when he sees my return."

"If we don't take this opportunity we might not be able to beat Scarl—I-I mean the demons to the next Shard," I said in defence of Eun. This was our best shot at finally beating Scarlet to the next Shard.

"I say we go then," Eve agreed. "If anything goes wrong we still have the Wind Shard to help us escape."

Speka visibly went pale at the prospect of using the Shard to escape again.

Chung sighed," if you guys are willing to take the risk then I can order the knights to guide us back."

"We don't have a choice this time," I stated firmly. "It's the best chance we have to win this fight against the demon army."

When everyone voiced their agreement with the idea Chung turned his attention back to the knights, reluctantly ordering them to deliver us safely to his castle.


	26. Dancing Under the Moonlight

**BLESS PRE-WRITTEN CHAPTERS!**

Chung's home made my childhood house seem like a tiny, grass hut. The castle pierced into the heart of the midnight sky, its spotless white walls gleaming brighter than the city streetlights. The roof of the castle was crafted from a turquoise stone, decorated with golden ridge lines. Because Hamel's castle was built by the cliffside our ears were entranced by the ocean's gentle hum, our noses twitching at the all-too-familiar salty air. We entered the castle through an arch-like entrance, I took note of the inseparable floral designs blooming on the pearly entryway.

The inside of the castle was just as impressive as the exterior. Rows of towering columns stood on opposite ends of the seemingly endless hall, between each pillar was a long window, letting soft moonlight pour onto the ocean blue carpet and gleaming marble floors. Crystal chandeliers hung over our heads, each jewel twinkled with its unique radiance as we passed under them.

Several castle workers bowed to Chung, some reacting more excitedly to his return than others. Our escorts delivered us into what I assumed was the throne room. My jaw dropped at our new setting, each stone and colour sent me further in my wordless wonder. The marble floor was not covered in a long blue carpet as I expected it to be, instead a lotus flower, blushing in a blue gradient, bloomed at the core of the circular room. Two navy blue throne chairs stood in ahead of us, a massive window stretched behind them, giving a perfect view of the ocean. The dome ceiling was the most impressive part. A detailed painting of Hamel's underwater inhabitants stretched over our heads, it felt like we were immersed underwater again. A colossal diamond chandelier hung from the heart of the art piece.

Our team was promptly patched up by several Hamel mages. Once everyone was healed we were left alone in the spacious throne room.

"Y-you call this home?" I awed, breathless.

Chung shrugged," yeah, it's a pretty boring home."

"Boring?" Elsword gawked. "Dude, I'd kill to have a cool castle like this!" He voiced what was probably stirring in all of our minds.

Eve chuckled," I do love seeing mere peasants reacting to royal castles. It is quite amusing to witness their fascination."

"Did your castle look as cool as this?" Amos asked the Queen, eyes twinkling with raw wonder.

Eve tilted her chin up," of course, Amos. As Queen, it is only natural that I make my home in a beautiful castle."

"Guys, we're not here for a house tour," Chung snapped us back to reality. "This may be the last thing we see if my uncle decides to hand us back to the Red Knights." He began pacing frantically around the lotus flower design. "I-I don't know what I can say to win over his support."

"I thought we agreed to offer him aid," Raven reminded him.

"I know, but I-I don't know how I can make that offer appeal to him. He isn't exactly a big fan of mine."

"Your uncle can't be that bad, right?" He shot me a defeated expression. "I-I mean you are his nephew. Even if he isn't your number one fan he'd still be happy to see you alive and well."

"The only time he'd be happy to see me is when I'm dead," he retorted, continuing to pace in a circle. "You guys realise I'll need to tell him about our mission if we want to avoid unnecessary conflict, right?"

"That or we use the damned Shard to escape when things get bad," Speka shuttered at the mention of using the Wind Shard again. "Honestly, I predicted we might have to tell him the truth to win his trust."

"I feared the same outcome, but we may not be in a position to lie to him," Eve added on grimly. "Time is precious and we cannot allow the demons to steal another Shard again. Truthfully, I'd prefer to keep our mission a secret."

"Even if we tell him the truth, he might not support us," Chung raked his hand through his hair. "T-this was a bad idea. I-I should've never agreed to come here. We should've known better-"

"Chung, stop freaking out about what we should've done," I placed a firm hand on his shoulder, forcibly stopping him from pacing. "Right now we need to focus on _why_ we came here and _how_ we can make things go our way."

I know from personal experience that the _what ifs_ will only drag your spirit deeper into torment. We need to keep moving forward, no matter how much our regrets bite into our flesh.

"She's right," Raven agreed. "We came here because Sasha may help us find the Water Shard. That's our biggest priority as of now."

I flashed a grateful smile at Raven before turning my attention back to Chung," if we can't convince him then we try the Queen. I know you said she might not be able to influence his opinion of us, but she must have some power to force him to help us."

"Besides, we're still able to fight if the old man gets violent," Elsword cracked his knuckles. "Even if we're a bit beat up."

There's the confident leader I know, I couldn't help but think.

 _He still has a long way to go, but his positive attitude is certainly a good start to his recovery._

"I call dibs on beating up the King," Chung said jokingly, placing his hand over mine. It was impossible to ignore the tug at my heartstrings.

"In all seriousness, we should try to avoid telling the truth unless we're backed into a corner," Raven advised Chung sternly. "I'm not asking you to lie about our circumstance, just do what you can to avoid revealing it. The fewer people who know about our circumstance the better."

"I'll try my best," his fingers curled around my hand tightly. I returned the gesture without a second thought.

The lightened mood came crashing down on us when the set of stone doors opened. I held my breath, absentmindedly snuggling closer to Chung's chest, as I anticipated the infamous King to stride in and order his guards to capture us. Instead, we were greeted by a single woman. She was in a purple nightgown, her silver curls still left in tangles from slumber. Her baggy amber eyes abandoned all signs of fatigue as they fell upon Chung.

"The Queen," Chung sighed in relief.

I squealed and practically jumped away from him, face flushed in embarrassment. Everyone, with the exception of Eve and Chung, bowed tentatively to the Queen. She didn't give us an extra glance as she sprinted to greet Chung with a crushing hug.

"Oh, thank heavens you're okay," her embrace made Chung contort his face in pain, though he didn't voice his discomfort to the already emotional Queen.

"It's been a long time, Daisy." Chung returned the hug. "How have you been?"

"How have I been?" She released him from her rib-crushing hug, eyes glassy with emotion. "Chung, I've been waiting for you to return home for so long. Y-you have no idea how many nights I stayed up worrying about you."

"Oh," Chung seemed visibly shocked at her answer. I wondered if he assumed she was too wrapped up with her marriage to worry about him.

"You poor thing," Daisy looked like someone had slapped her across the face as she examined the scratches on his cheeks. "I knew joining the Red Knights was too dangerous for you, yet you refused to listen to me and left Hamel."

"I'm not a little kid anymore," he exasperated. "I'm better at fighting now."

Her eyes trailed down to his cannon," oh, I see you've made improvements on your Destroyer." She smiled. "Chung, you certainly are your father's son."

"I just wish he was here to see it," he murmured.

I'm sure he would've been proud of you, I wanted to tell him. It tore my heart apart knowing I had to bite my tongue and stay quiet.

"Aye, he's also Helputt's looks," an old bulky man marched gleefully into the room. His snow-white beard swayed back and forth with each step while his balding head gleamed under the silver lighting.

Chung's solemn eyes brightened," Horatio!" He greeted the aged man with a quick embrace. "It's nice to see you're still up and running."

"I may be old but my legs are as strong as a knight's, My Lord." Horatio boasted with a toothy smile.

"I see you're still fit enough to work for our family."

"Of course! A gifted man like me won't let go of his position easily!"

"I can see your pride hasn't changed over these past few years either."

Horatio howled with rumbling laughter," as much as I'd love to talk about myself, I believe there are a few people you need to introduce us to."

"O-oh, right," Chung rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Er...sorry. I kind of got caught up."

Chung promptly introduced us to Horatio and Daisy, I was the last one to be mentioned. A lopsided grin slid on Daisy's face once we were acquainted.

"I must be honest, Chung, you have quite a keen eye," Daisy winked at him.

Chung and I both arched our brows," excuse me?" He asked.

"I'm trying to compliment your ability to choose a pretty girlfriend," now the Queen wasn't the only one who was smirking. I intentionally bowed my head, allowing my hair to fall over my beet-red cheeks.

"Wait till she hears about Rena," Elsword whispered. That earned him an elbow to the stomach from Speka.

"She may not be of royal descent but old traditions have died out, just look at me and your uncle."

"S-she's...w-we're not like that," Chung's face was as flushed as mine. "S-speaking of my uncle, where is he?"

"The King is probably drinking somewhere," Horatio answered, his voice now empty of joy. "He likes to enjoy...several cups of beer before retiring to bed."

Chung scowled," of course he'd rather get drunk than to care for his kingdom."

"Chung, I don't think you're in the position to chide your uncle about his irresponsible habit," Daisy frowned. "As much as I'd love to hear about your adventures as a Red Knight, it's time we discuss the mess you and your friends have gotten into."

The Queen promptly waved the guards outside to close the door. Without a word, the throne room doors closed with a heavy _thud._

"We know about the bounty on your heads," Horatio added quietly. "My Lord, we'd like to know why you did what you did."

Chung glanced over at the rest of the team. Raven and Eve firmly shook their heads while Speka and Elsword responded with a nod.

"Chung, you need to be honest with us," Daisy said as if knowing the silent question thrown around us. "We can't help you if you don't tell us the truth."

"Aye, we may be able to lessen your punishment if we understand your motives."

Chung locked eyes with me next. I bit my lip and searched my brain for all the possible consequences that'd come with my decision.

If we lied about our mission, and the King found out, there's no question he'd hand us off to the Red Knights. It'd also harm Chung's relationship with the Queen and Horatio. Being honest is our best bet to convince the Queen and Horatio to support us. If we have their help the King won't be able to get rid of us as easily and they might help us search for the next Shard. However, we run the risk of them telling someone else about the mission. I have no doubt the demon army has their _ways_ to make people spill information. We also don't need any more people knowing about the Shards' existence.

 _You better decide quickly. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side._

I swallowed and reluctantly bobbed my head. That was all Chung needed to know before delving into the reasons for our presence. No one spoke a single word as he described our mission and past adventures, linking each mission to an El Shard. He thankfully left out the part where I betrayed them, instead, he blamed our team's disband on our grief. You could hear a pin drop by the time he finished speaking. The Queen and Horatio stared in awe at him, I couldn't tell if they were convinced by his story or thought he'd lost his mind.

"Y-you claim to have one of these Shards here?" Daisy finally asked. Chung nodded. "M-may I see it?"

"Yeah," he locked his gaze on Speka.

The dark mage froze for a moment before digging through her backpack. The air felt heavy on my shoulders as she pulled out the Wind Shard. Speka gingerly held the Shard over her head, it sparkled with the strength of a million stars under the soft moonlight. The Wind Shard pulsated to life, lighting the dim room with its turquoise radiance.

"I-I would show you its powers but I don't want to break anything," Speka muttered. I had a sneaking suspicion she was also terrified of hurting someone.

"I-it's alright," Horatio said, clearing his throat. "It's not that hard to feel the intense magic radiating off it."

"It has the same aura as the Sacred Water Jewel," Daisy pointed out in awe.

"So does that mean you believe us?" Elsword asked as Speka returned the Shard back into her bag.

"It's a lot to take in," Daisy admitted. She glanced nervously at me, it was obvious she was still uncomfortable with the connection I had with Eun. "But it makes a lot more sense than Chung purposely committing those atrocious crimes."

"I'll admit, you guys could've handled the situation a lot better," Horatio spoke next. "But I can see why it's so important to resume the mission."

"That's not how the Red Knights see it," I grimaced, folding my arms. "We were never supposed to take on this mission again, and even if we were it'd have to resume _after_ we took care of the demon armies."

"Aye, no doubt those captains will be upset with you."

"Now that you know our story, will you help us?" Eve questioned.

Horatio took a sudden interest in the painted ceiling while the Queen played with her hair. Someone tapped their foot rhythmically on the gleaming floor, I found myself counting along with each tap.

"I've always sworn my loyalty to Hamel's Royal Family," Horatio spoke, drawing his attention from the dome to our team. "And I trust that the heir of our former King would not deceive his loved ones."

"Thanks, Horatio," Chung said on the behalf of the team.

"No need to thank me, My Lord. Thank your father for raising such a noble son."

I turned my attention onto the Queen. She had her hands tightly clasped together now, her eyes still clouded from her churning thoughts."

"Your fears about the demons have been best reflected in our city's recent crisis." Daisy answered tentatively." And if the Sacred Water Jewel is truly one of the Shards you seek then I will do my very best to help." She smiled at Chung. "I will take a chance and trust in your words, Young Prince."

"Thanks for helping," Chung grinned back at her. "And can you guys also keep this a secret from the King?" Daisy's jaw dropped faster than a falling boulder.

"Why?" Daisy gasped. "He has the right to know what's really happening."

"Daisy-"

"I know you had a rocky relationship with him as a child but he's now the ruler of our kingdom. He has every right to know the dangers that will fall upon Hamel." Daisy appeared even more displeased when Chung rolled his eyes at her claim.

"I don't believe Rod would willingly hand us the Shard if he knew the true extent of its powers. You of all people should be familiar with his greedy nature," Chung explained calmly. "I know you're the Queen now, but if you truly respect me as a rightful member of the royal family then please don't tell him."

"You have my word, My Lord." Horatio obliged in a heartbeat.

The Queen, however, seemed more hesitant. She played with her fingers while her eyes frantically scanned every corner of the room," fine," she relaxed her hands. "I'll keep this from Rod."

"Thank you."

"How dare that troublesome Prince return to _my_ castle!" A scream resonated somewhere outside the throne room.

"And speak of the devil," Chung groaned.

"When I get my hands on him and his filthy hands I promise they'd wish they were dead!"

Immediately his threat made all the alarms go off in my head. Before I had the chance to ready my spear Daisy reassured he would not lay a finger on us. She promptly ordered us to stand behind her, we followed her command without question.

"I'm glad we got to meet the Queen first," Elsword whispered.

"The King is just...drunk," Daisy said uncomfortably. "He has a bad temper when he isn't sober."

"How unprofessional of him," Eve huffed, scooping Amos up into her arms. "If he wants to set a good example for his people then he should not be making a fool of himself by drinking."

"He...he wasn't expecting guests so late in the night." Daisy defended.

"He sounds scary," Amos snuggled closer to Eve. She whispered something into his ear and pulled him closer to her. Whatever she said seemed to be enough to calm Amos' nerves.

"I think that's a bit of an understatement, kiddo," Raven added jokingly, inducing a small giggle from Amos.

"At least you didn't have to live with him when you were little," Chung murmured to himself.

Before anyone else could make comments about the King, a tall man came staggering into the throne room, a line of Hamel Knights followed him inside. His face was shaded in ruby red, sapphire blue eyes dazed from his excess alcohol consumption.

"You!" The King pointed a bony finger at Chung. "You should be in jail!"

"Now, now, Rod," Daisy stepped in between the King and Chung. "That's no way to greet your nephew."

"Daisy, have you forgotten the bounty on his damn head?!" The King stumbled forward. "I will not let a criminal stay in _my_ castle."

"Don't be like that, Rod," Daisy approached the drunken King, unwavered by his drunken rage. "What kind of uncle would you be if you hand over your own nephew to those awful Red Knights?" Daisy gently caressed his flushed cheek. He miraculously relaxed at her touch.

"Daisy, I can't let wanted criminals stay in my castle," he hiccuped. "Especially not that spoiled brat!"

"Excuse me? I don't think you have the right to be talking." Chung snapped.

"What did you say to me?!" He shoved Daisy roughly to the side. The Queen screamed and stumbled onto the ground, prompting Hamel Knights to run to her aid. "Is this how you speak to the King?!"

"You being the King of Hamel?" Chung snorted. "Could've fooled me."

"At least I have the chance to be king," Rod smirked. "You'll forever stay as the lowly prince. Serves you right. Your daddy has spoiled you enough."

Chung would've run up to Rod and attack him if Elsword and Raven hadn't held him back in time," at least my father was a good king, unlike you!"

"Dude, calm down," Elsword grunted.

"Don't compare me to that coward!" Rod bellowed, spit spraying from his mouth.

"The only coward is you! Instead of getting yourself drunk like a sailor maybe you should help the slums rebuild and provide aid to those who lost their homes!"

"STOP!" Daisy practically rocketed in between Rod and Chung again, glaring daggers to both parties. "Chung, apologise to the King."

"But-"

"Chung," Daisy glowered. "That is an order." Rod was beaming at the situation behind Daisy.

Chung looked like he was ready to murder the man in front of him. His gentle blue eyes were now screaming for bloodshed, I don't think I've ever seen him so angry before. Thankfully, he relaxed his muscles and apologised. Elsword and Raven hesitantly let go of him.

"Rod, it wouldn't be wise to hand your troublesome nephew and his team to the Red Knights," Daisy said, reapproaching the drunken man.

"Why not? After the way, he's treated me I should throw him and his filthy street rats to the knights." Rod slurred.

"Think about it, honey," Daisy slid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Those _awful_ Knights work under Velder, the same kingdom that cut off trade with us. It's because of them that we have such a shortage of supplies."

"And they dare send over one of their mages to order us to capture my nephew's team," Rod recalled angrily. Daisy nodded eagerly.

"Besides, we could use their team to help with Hamel's predicament," she suggested, pressing her body against him. His already beet-red face was darkening further from the contact.

"I don't need their help, Daisy." Rod hiccuped once more. "I can handle Hamel's problems all on my own."

"Rod, you've been saying that ever since the waterways have been blocked." Daisy chided. Chung looked like he was about to say something but I punched his arm before he had the chance to blow up on the King again.

"I'll figure it out eventually-"

"We don't have any more time to spare," Daisy persisted with a pout. "The citizens will start dying if they don't get water soon." She sighed, withdrawing herself from her mess of a husband. Rod glowered at her retreat. "We'll discuss this in the morning. You're clearly too drunk to make a rational decision."

"I'm not too drunk," Rod slurred. "I only had a couple of drinks."

"Guards, please help the King back to our bedchamber," Daisy ordered despite the King's protests. "Additionally, order the maids to prepare our guest bedrooms and our chefs to prepare dinner for the Prince's team. I expect our Prince's friends to be well fed and well rested for tomorrow."

"But Daisy," the King grumbled, drool leaking from the side of his mouth. "I'm not tired."

"You're such a mess, sweetheart," Daisy wiped the corner of his mouth dry with her thumb. "Come now, let's go to bed together." She added, licking her lips.

That was enough to quiet Rod down, allowing his knights to guide him to his bedchamber. Daisy glanced behind, shooting a warm smile at us before following her lover out.

"Well, that went worse than I thought," Horatio said once the King was out of earshot.

"Yeah," I glared at Chung. "That was a close call."

"Sorry," Chung apologised genuinely, this time. "I just lost my temper back there."

"We should be grateful the Queen handled it so well," Eve acknowledged. "I will have to personally thank her for you."

"Eve, when can we go eat? I'm really hungry." Amos said just as his stomach growled. That earned a light-hearted chuckle from all of us.

"The fuzzy kid is right, we shouldn't dawdle in here any longer." Horatio began to his way to the doors, gesturing us to follow." The Queen has promised you guys a meal, after all. And while you lot are enjoying your dinner I'll entertain you with all amazing stories about myself."

* * *

We forgot our table manners the moment our hungry eyes targeted the late night feast. Horatio, as promised, told our many tales of his days working for the royal family as we stuffed our faces with beef, soup and various vegetables. I can't speak for the others, but I enjoyed hearing the mischief Chung's dad got into when he was still a Prince. It made the King more human to me. I made a mental note to ask Horatio about baby Chung the next time he's in a storytelling mood.

When we were finally finished eating Horatio said," I have a question for you lot," he pointed down at Amos. "Why did you drag that young man along with you?" Eve and Raven shot each other a silent look, each one wordlessly encouraging the other to answer.

"I didn't want to leave him alone at Velder," Raven gave in, setting his fork and knife on his now empty plate.

"Yet you refuse to ready him to defend himself," Eve huffed.

"Eve, we've discussed this before."

"You have?" Amos' eyes brightened at the prospect of fighting alongside us.

"He's too young, besides he can stay here while we go on missions." Amos' ears drooped at Raven's sharp comment.

"Aww, man," Amos slumped onto the polished wood table top. "But I wanna help you guys fight and look cool too. It's no fun staying behind."

"It's for your own good," Raven snapped tightly, making Amos tense up. In a softer voice, he added," every time you try to help you always manage to scrape past death."

"These guys have been arguing nonstop about the issue," Elsword murmured to the old man. "It's annoying."

"Aye, I can see why this arouses so much disagreement with you two," Horatio said with a rumbling laugh. "You should've seen Helputt when Chung was first introduced to fighting. The young prince was certainly skilled at alchemy, but it became abundantly clear that he was not a good warrior."

"He's a pretty good fighter now," I blurted. I instantly regretted my response as Horatio smirked at me.

"Of course you'd see it that way, young lady. Everyone has an obscured image of their love interest."

"H-he's not my boyfriend," my palms felt clammy under the table.

"I never said he was," Horatio continued to tease. I ducked my head down, too mortified to look anyone in the eye.

"Anyways, I have no doubt the Young Master has improved," Horatio thankfully spared me from any more embarrassment. "When Helputt first allowed him to hold a cannon the poor boy couldn't even hold it up probably and the darn thing toppled onto him nearly crushing him to death." A collective snicker roused from the team. "Needless to say, it took weeks for persuading to convince the King to allow his son to train again."

"Now look at Chung," Eve narrowed her eyes on Raven. "He started off weak, just like any human would, and now he can handle his own battles."

"It's different with Amos," Raven stubbornly insisted. "The battles are too dangerous and he's too small to deal with the things we do."

"He should still know how to defend himself."

"No, he doesn't."

"The Lady is right," Horatio piped in calmly. "You may be able to keep him safe now, but you won't always be by his side to protect him."

"He has the team-"

"Your team didn't train to babysit your kid," Horatio cut him off. Instead of looking irritated at the interruption, Horatio's words seem to make something click in Raven's head.

"I can't let him go out in battle, though." Raven clasped his hands together.

"Who says you have to? As long as he knows how to manage himself in a dangerous situation you don't have to worry about keeping him safe. Besides, do you really feel comfortable leaving your kid alone here?"

"Is that something you should say about the royal castle?" Speka arched her brow.

"I'm only thinkin' like a parent would," Horatio pointed to his hairless head. "Even if this castle is heavily guarded I'd still be uncomfortable leavin' my child alone here, especially if I had a bounty on my head."

"Raven," Eve placed her hands on top of his. "I fear for Amos' safety too. If I had the choice I would want him to come with us on your missions, at least while the current King is still in power. I would also want him to know how to defend himself so I can be more at ease when he is with us in battle."

Raven stared into space for several minutes. Once he finally came to a verdict he leant over to Eve and murmured something into her ear; unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick up what he said. Whatever it was, it made Eve smile. "Fine, I'll start training Amos." He said to Horatio.

Amos practically leapt off his seat, cheering at the top of his lungs. He thanked Eve and Horatio profusely for convincing Raven to change his mind.

"I'll only bring you to missions if you promise to listen to everything I say," Raven added once Amos was finished celebrating.

"Raven," Eve frowned.

"I don't like leaving him alone in a foreign place either," Raven quickly reassured her. "But I'd rather have him somewhere empty of demons if he's going to misbehave."

"Okay, okay, I promise!" Amos answered in an instant. "You just have to promise you'll train me!" Amos exclaimed, crawling onto Raven's lap.

Raven smiled warmly at him," yeah, I will."

"Do you two have a weapon for him to wield?" Horatio asked.

"Oh! I wanna use two awesome swords like Elsword! Or maybe I can use guns! Oh a scythe sounds cool-"

"I took a kitchen knife from Velder before we left. It looked like it could easily be wielded by him," Eve answered, ignoring Amos' list of desired weapons. I was slightly disappointed that the young Ponggo didn't mention anything about a spear.

"Tell you what, you give me the knife and I'll make the kid a sword in a similar size."

Eve blinked, unable to think of a proper response to his offer.

"Horatio is Hamel's best blacksmith," Chung elaborated, further inflating the old man's ego. "There's a reason why he's still working at this castle."

"We'd appreciate it," Raven said to Horatio.

"Give me a couple of days and the kid will be carrying a sword fit for a knight." Once again the spacious dining hall resonated with Amos' cries of joy.

"Well, I don't know about you lot but I'm ready to retire to bed," Horatio grunted as he pushed himself off his seat. "From the looks of it, you'll have a busy day tomorrow so I wouldn't stay up too late if I were you."

"Can you tell us anything about the Waterways before you go?" Chung asked before Horatio could even manage a single step.

"I'd rather not, My Lord," he bowed. "It would be wise to worry about such a matter in the morning. The Queen would be furious if she knew I made your team lose sleep over our crisis."

If Horatio didn't mention anything about Daisy's reaction I had no doubt Chung would order Horatio to tell him the truth.

"Just holler one of the knights when you're ready for bed," Horatio yawned, beginning his way to the doors. "Sleep tight, friends."

After wishing the old blacksmith 'good night' our team parted ways. Raven, Eve and Amos took Horatio's advice and asked the two knights guarding the dining room to show them to their rooms. Elsword and Speka decided to explore the castle, though not together, before going to bed. I was going to head straight to bed, the day's extended swimming left a heavy load on my muscles, when Chung offered to give me a grand tour of his castle. Of course, wasn't going to turn that offer down. Ignoring the aching of my legs I followed him out the dining room.

At first I was fighting head to toe with my fatigue, my eyelids were mere seconds away from crashing shut. It was only when Chung started reminiscing about his childhood that I was able to forget my drowsiness.

He told me about the days he'd used to play with the castle workers, forcing almost half the staff to play hide and seek with him—his father wasn't too happy with Chung's idea, though. He also told me the days his dad pushed him relentlessly to get stronger, how scared he was of his own father when it came to training. He quickly contrasted his dad's strict image by reciting the days he spent with his father fishing or swimming. No matter how busy the King was he always found time to spend with his beloved son.

"I'm curious," I said after he told me the time he accidentally spilled juice on his father's throne. "Why did Rod take over as King and not you?"

We were currently walking through a long hallway no different from the other halls we've ventured through. It perplexed me how Chung could still navigate around the castle so easily.

"I was too injured to be crowned as the next King," he said after an extended pause. "Hamel needed someone—anyone to take the throne after my dad disappeared. The next best person was Rod." He sneered that the mere mention of his name.

"O-oh."

 _Although I was not the one to corrupt his father, I cannot help but feel the urge to apologize._

'Me too. Now I can understand his initial hate for us better.'

 _At the same time, I have grown to respect him more. Even after losing so much to the demons he is still willing to trust us._

Two patrolling knights bowed to Chung as we passed by. Chung acknowledged them with a curt nod.

"I don't know how you can manage to find your way around this place," I told him, pretending to examine the bleach, white walls. "Everything looks the same around here."

Chung's face lightened up at the new topic," I did grow up here. It'd be embarrassing if I didn't know how to navigate my own home."

"And I can only dream of living in a castle like this."

"It's pretty to look at—"he casually draped his arm over my shoulders"—but it gets pretty lonely. I'd rather be surrounded with friends than to live alone in this castle."

"W-when you put it that way I can see what you mean," I stammered.

We continued walking down the hall, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders. He didn't bother moving away from me whenever we passed patrolling Knights, as embarrassed as I was to been seen like this, I enjoyed being so close with him. Even though I shouldn't be this intimate with Chung (he's a Prince for crying out loud) I couldn't move away from his grasp.

"Oh, I've gotta show you something," Chung unhooked his arm from me. Just before my racing heart could relax he took me by the hand and sprinted ahead, dragging me along for the ride.

We burst into the first set of doors to our left. The rectangular room was almost as big as the throne room. What caught my attention was how empty the space was. Blue, silk curtains parted at each elongated winder to allow silverlight to shower the smooth, tiled floor. A line of crystal chandeliers hung from the floral designed ceiling.

"What is this place?" I awed as Chung let go of my hand.

"Welcome to the Ballroom," Chung said, closing the door behind us. "This used to be my favorite spot to practice alchemy."

"It's so empty," I noted, taking slow strides into the room.

"Well, duh," he eagerly caught up with me. "This place is for dancing, what else were you expecting?"

"I didn't know," I scowled, lightly punching him on the arm.

"I'm just teasing," he chuckled. "So, do you wanna dance?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I could hear my own heartbeat drumming in my ears," e-excuse me?"

Chung nonchalantly stepped in front of me and held his arm out, his other arm rested against his back," I asked if you wanted to dance."

"I-I don't know how," for some reason my cheeks flushed with embarrassment at my confession. Mother tried to teach me how to dance when I was a kid, but she soon realized dancing was more dangerous than having me fight with Aren.

"I'll teach you," Chung smiled, sending electric jolts from my chest to the rest of my body.

"You'll make fun of me."

"I promise I won't," he said in a heartbeat. "C'mon, it'll be fun.

If Mother couldn't teach me to dance then how could he? Then again, I've never danced in an actual ballroom before. I might not get another chance after today either.

I played with my fingers," f-fine, but only for a little bit." I shakily placed my hand on his forearm.

"Just relax," he instructed, gently guiding me to the center of the room. "I've got you every step of the way."

"Sure you do," I replied jokingly. It was my only way to cope with the fact that I'll be dancing with Chung, alone, in a royal ballroom.

When we reached our destination he guided my left hand onto his left shoulder. My heart was already skipping at the physical contact, so when he slid his left hand around my waist it felt like I was going to have a heart attack.

"Just follow my lead," he said, taking my free hand into his.

I swallowed, forcing my head to bob up and down. I thankfully didn't fall flat on my face during the first two steps. Unfortunately, my uncoordinated legs nearly made me topple over when I was required to step backwards. Thankfully Chung held onto me tightly before I could make a total fool of myself.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone screw up so early," he laughed once I was stable on my feet.

"S-shut up, my legs are just tired from all the swimming."

"I think your clumsiness is kinda cute," his comment only made my legs feel weaker. "Let's try that again."

It took me several more fails to master the simple dance, Chung made fun of me each time. I would've called him out for breaking his promise but I found myself relaxing a bit more every time we joked about my lack of dancing skills.

Once I was coordinated enough to dance none of us spoke a single word, our feet stepping rhythmically to the song only we could hear. As I grew more comfortable with the dance I found new courage to look into his sapphire eyes, losing myself in his gaze. I couldn't help but admire how the soft moonlight hugged his face whenever we turned the right way, and the way the chandeliers twinkled like stars as we maneuvered underneath them. We may have been dancing aimlessly in a dark, empty ballroom, but in my head we were dancing under the starry sky.

At one point we stopped dancing, but our hands never left each other. It was at that moment I realized just how close we were. There was only a few inches separating our lips. I absentmindedly gripped his hand tightly, fighting back the abrupt urge to close the distance.

Chung's fingers tightened around my hand in return. As if he could read my mind, he began to lean in. I eagerly met him in the center. I fluttered my eyes shut and allowed my lips to dance with his. He smelled like the sea, though this time the scent did not repulse me. In fact, the scent gave a strange sense of nostalgia.

Our kiss melted the worries and uncertainty that plagued me since we left Velder, all the weight on my shoulders seemed to disappear with a snap of a finger.

When we pulled away we were both breathless, our foreheads resting against one another, yet we both managed to a goofy grin.

"Wow," was the first thing he said. "I didn't expect that to happen."

"Yeah," I giggled. "I think that was better than the first time we kissed." It pleased me to see the scarlet hue flushing his cheeks.

"We could make this a regular occurrence, if you want." He winked.

I wanted more than anything to take on his offer, but the small voice in my head was starting to make itself present again. Reminding me how impossible it would be for us to stay together. Not only were we in the middle of a war, but he was royalty. Someone like me couldn't stay with him, it wouldn't work out in the end. And even if we manage to work something out there's always a chance one of us could die in battle. The pain that we'd feel then would be stronger than any wound a sword could inflict.

I looked away and hesitantly broke away from his grasp, the warmth in my chest turned ice cold. Even without looking I could already see the hurt and confusion in his once beaming eyes.

"I-I'm feeling tired," I said, looking absolutely everything but Chung.

"W-what? Did I-"

"See you tomorrow," I swallowed the lump at the back of my throat and clumsily pushed passed him. I didn't realize how weak my legs felt from our kiss until now.

 _Ara…_

I mentally blocked out Eun's attempts to confide me and bolted out the doors, staggering aimlessly down the long, empty hall. It hurt even more to hear him calling out to me and not allowing myself to return to his side.

 **LOL as someone who is very unaffectionate this particular scene was very uncomfortable to write. I'm gonna hide in my fortress of solitude now xD**


	27. A New Mission

**I need a HUGE favour from everyone reading this!**

 **My friend and I are trying to write the worst story on wattpad. So far we have reads but no hate. That's where you come in! If you wanna roast some cancerous writing then make a wattpad account and search "His Lost Princess" by Spermatids. We wanna see your best roasts :)**

 **And for obvious reasons, don't tell anyone that it's a troll story. Just play along and pretend it's all serious.**

To my surprise, I woke up to the sun shining on my face. I suppose the extended swim exhausted me enough to sleep through the entire night. I rolled out of the expensive canopy bed and proceeded to ready myself for the day. As I wordlessly changed into my usual attire I took note of the bedroom I was staying at.

Unlike the tiny room I stayed in at Velder, the room provided in Hamel was as big as an average master bedroom. The floor was clothed in a floral, blue carpet which kept my bare feet from getting cold. A single painting of Hamel's glorious ocean life decorated the snow-white wall staring directly at my bed. My backpack was resting against a white dresser, the gold crested mirror above it reflected the sunlight seeping in from my long arch windows—I promptly pulled the golden curtains shut to keep the light from blinding me.

 _I am glad to see you have gotten a full night's rest._ Eun said once it was tightly adjusted in my hair.

"I suppose you could call it a good sleep," I shrugged, retrieving my spear from the couch in my sitting area. My eyes caught the twinkle of the golden chandelier hanging at the core of my room, my stomach twisted as last night's kiss.

"I..uh dreamed about Aren again." I elaborated, desperate to shake my thoughts from Chung.

 _I would much rather have you dream about pleasant memories than that horrible day._

It doesn't make a difference, either way, I thought. All my childhood memories inflict painful emotions, some more than others.

 _We should check up on the Priestess as soon as we can._ Eun suggested as I proceeded out the large room. _I suspect the scarlet-haired demon will be upset that she lost Sasha to us._

"Right," I tightened my fingers around my spear. "Let me ask a guard where the rest of our team is first."

As I mindlessly proceeded down the hall I couldn't help but recall the days I spent with Scarlet. A familiar anger boiled my blood, but I couldn't bring myself to linger on my hate toward her. Perhaps it was due to the lingering fatigue or maybe I've already expended too much energy into hating my former friend.

I wish things hadn't turned out the way they did. Maybe I could've been able to change Scarlet's evil intentions if I spent a little bit more time with her, maybe she would've felt more loved if I had introduced her to my friends. It's hard to believe that someone so similar to me can be so evil.

 _Ara,_ Eun drew my attention to a passing guard.

I hastily apologised to Eun and called out to the guard. To my disappointment, he had no knowledge of Sasha's condition nor the location of my team. He was, however, willing to escort me to the dining hall as there's a high possibility that my friends would be there. Seeing how that was the best option to rendezvous with the others, I accepted his offer. Not an another word was exchanged between us afterwards.

When we arrived at our destination I curtly thanked him before entering the dining hall. To my surprise, Raven, Eve and Amos were already seated at the end of the table talking with Horatio—Amos was the only one who was eating breakfast. They spoke in low murmurs that not even I could hear, though their tight expressions indicated the severity of their conversation.

"Hey," I greeted. Their heads perked up as I proceeded to seat with them.

"Morning," Raven and Eve greeted flatly. The duo, despite heading the bed first last night, looked like they haven't got a wink of sleep.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a seat opposite of Eve.

Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose," it's Sasha."

"D-did something happen to her last night?"

"She's not dead if that's what you're implying," Horatio reassured with a tight smile. "But I don't think she can be of any use to you guys anymore."

"At least she will not be of use to the demons either," Eve said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Aye, but the enemies don't know that fact."

"I-I don't understand," I glanced around the group feverishly. "What's going on?"

"It started when Sasha woke up this morning," Raven began to explain, clasping his hands together on the table. "She was hysteric at first, crying and screaming at her new surroundings. She eventually calmed down but when she was asked what happened under the sea she claimed she couldn't remember."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind spinning at the news," s-she doesn't remember a thing?"

"Not when I last saw her. The poor girl was hysteric when we encouraged her to remember," Horatio answered next. "When the Queen arrived to see her she ordered everyone to leave the room. I'm guessin' she's trying to settle Sasha in before attempting to trigger any more memories."

"Did you ask if the El Shard was safe?"

"In Hamel, we call it the Water Jewel, and that was the first question the knights asked her when she was awake. Unfortunately, she doesn't recall where she hid it."

"That's great," I pounded my fist on the table. "I can't believe she has amnesia when we need her the most."

 _Please do not direct your rage at the Priestess._

'Can you blame me, Eun? We came all this way to look for the El Shard, and now the only person who knows where it is can't remember anything.'

 _It is not her fault. The only person you should be directing your rage to is Scarlet, or whatever her real name was._

"So what now?" I asked in a calmer tone. "Do we just sit and hope the demons don't find the El Shard without Sasha's help?"

"Firstly, we do not know if the Water Jewel is, in fact, a Shard," Eve reminded me. With a small smile, she added," if the Jewel is not a Shard then we should rejoice that our enemies are wasting their time on a wild goose chase."

"That's _if_ the Jewel isn't a Shard," my answer made her smile drop to a frown.

"Y-yes," Eve bit her lip. "F-for now I suggest we win over the King's trust and resume our training."

Amos' ears perked up at the last bit," can I also train with you guys?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"Only when you have the appropriate weapon to train with," Eve answered before Raven could get a word in. He glared at Eve before turning his gaze on Horatio.

"Have you completed Amos' sword?" He asked the ancient blacksmith.

"Patience, young lad," Horatio chided. "I've already started yesterday night. Give me a couple more days and I promise your kid will be properly equipped to defend himself."

"Ara, did you know Eve and Raven started my training today?" Amos announced proudly, his legs swung wildly back and forth.

"Really?" I was genuinely surprised to hear Raven, of all people, would start training his beloved kid so soon. I thought it'd take several more days of convincing to officially start Amos' training. "What did you guys work on?"

"Well, first they made me run laps around this big empty room to warm up."

I wonder if they trained in the ballroom.

"Then Raven and Eve taught me how to dodge. It was awful! They forced me to keep moving even when I was tired."

I grinned at his comment, it sounded very similar to the complaints I made when I first started training.

"You could always call off the training, kiddo," Raven suggested, earning him a loud slap on the arm from Eve.

"No!" Amos exclaimed in a split second. "I'm gonna show you I can be strong too!"

"I'm just joking, kiddo," Raven chuckled, though it wouldn't surprise me if his previous statement held some truth to it.

We made casual talk with Horatio while waiting for the others to join us. When Chung finally decided to grace us with his presence I felt the same aching in my chest returned. While everyone else greeted him I couldn't bring myself to even look at his general direction. Unfortunately for me, he decided to sit on Raven's side of the table as if to make it harder for me to avoid him. Elsword and Speka joined the table last, once everyone was finally together Horatio requested the maids to bring out breakfast.

Once our plates were empty, we delved into the possible routes we should take next. I suggested we continue our investigations without Sasha's help while Raven thought it'd be best if we took this chance to lay low and research within the castle walls. Eun and I didn't approve of Raven's time-wasting idea, though I could see the appeal to it. Our group has been on the run since we escaped Velder, it'll be much safer _and_ relaxing for us to research without having to glance over our shoulders every minute.

Before we could come to terms on what we should do next the Queen and Sasha entered the room. Sasha was now adorned in a new robe and Daisy herself was dressed in a royal purple gown, her silver hair tied back in a bun. Everyone who was not of royal descent greeted the Queen.

"This is the team that helped save you yesterday," Daisy pressed her hand on Sasha's back and gently pushed her forward. Sasha's cheeks flushed bright red at the attention now drawn to her.

"T-thank you for the help," she said shyly.

With hands tucked away in her sleeves, Sasha wordlessly scanned over our group. To my surprise, a bright smile flashed on her pale face when her gaze landed on Chung.

I'll admit, her response to his presence left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"My Lord, I'm glad to see you are well," she bowed to Chung.

"I'm happy you're feeling better now," Chung answered. I absentmindedly peeked over at Chung as he responded. Guilt washed away my discontent toward Sasha when I saw the bags under his normally bright, blue eyes.

"Your concern for my safety flatters me, My Lord," Sasha replied as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Sasha has been quite reluctant to speak with anyone unfamiliar after waking up," Daisy elaborated on Sasha's shy persona toward the rest of us. "She's been overwhelmed with questions." She looked at our group sternly.

Elsword nodded," we understand." The Queen relaxed at his answer.

"Sasha, why don't you sit with them for breakfast?" Daisy gestured waved her hand over our table.

"W-where are you going?" Sasha recoiled back from our group like a spring.

"I must attend to the King-"

"You mean you have to wake him up and help ease his hangover." Chung rudely cut her off.

Daisy shifted her eyes to the floor," y-yes, but that shouldn't give you an excuse to disrespect him." She turned her attention back on Chung, eyes blazing with newfound authority. "Chung, I understand your dislike for my husband but please try to respect him. He's not only the King of Hamel but he's also kind enough to give your team shelter. I'd suggest treating your host kindly."

"He's only letting us stay because you persuaded him into it," Chung murmured, folding his arms. Raven scoffed and rammed his shoulder into Chung's side, earning him an icy glare from the Crown Prince.

"I'll be back shortly with the King to discuss our issue," Daisy said, purposely ignoring Chung's comment. In a softer tone, she added," please, for your friends' sake, don't try to anger your uncle."

Daisy flashed Chung a worried look before heading out of the room, her heels clicking with every step. Sasha sheepishly took a seat on my side of the table, beside Speka. If Chung wasn't squished between Raven and Elsword I had no doubts she'd sit next to him.

 _He is the only familiar face in the room. If I were her I too would like to sit with someone I know._

'If she knows Chung then she's bound to know Horatio too.' I retorted. It's ironic how I'm so flustered over Chung's relationship with Sasha.

 _She may not have been as close to Horatio. Please do not base your judgement of Sasha on your jealousy._

I scoffed at Eun's remark and redirected my gaze onto my empty plate. Several minutes passed without a single word being exchanged.

"Sasha, was it?" Eve initiated the first words. Sasha visibly tensed, she swallowed and tentatively bobbed her head.

"How long have you lived in Hamel?"

Sasha didn't reply right away. I curiously poked my head forward to get a better look at her. She didn't seem fearful of the question, instead, she seemed shocked, like she was expecting Eve to interrogate her about her memories.

"I-I lived here all my life," Sasha finally answered, readjusting herself in her seat.

At least she didn't lose all her past memories.

"How did you come to know the royal family? I am assuming you were born as a serf." Eve continued to ask, though not in a demanding tone.

"M-my work requires me to be acquainted with the Royal Family. S-sorry, but I don't want to talk about m-my role in Hamel right now. I-I just…" Sasha paused, eyes now wide with fear.

"I understand, you have recently been through a traumatic experience that you cannot fully grasp. I will not pry." Eve said after several seconds of silence stretched between them.

"You can trust us, though," Chung added. As expected, she didn't freeze in fear when he mentioned her lost memories. "My team wants to help you, but we can't do anything if you don't tell us what you can remember."

"Chung," Elsword shot Chung a stern look. "Don't ask about that."

"I'm not commanding her to tell, man." Chung shrugged, proceeding to trace circles on the dining table. "I'm just letting her know she can turn to us for help."

I didn't realise I was staring at him again until he unexpectedly turned his eyes on me. Warmth flushed my cheeks at our brief eye contact, I blinked and turned my attention to the ceiling.

"I know, My Lord. It's just difficult for me to process what has taken place." Sasha responded, oblivious to the awkward exchange between me and Chung." I-I do remember how I ended up separated from my guards, though."

"If you don't feel uncomfortable, feel free to tell us," Chung persisted. Once again Elsword shot him a nasty look, but this time he didn't chastise Chung for asking.

Several maids entered the room before Sasha could answer. We remained silent as Sasha was given her morning meal while the rest of us surrendered our empty plates to the maids. Shortly after the priestess had her breakfast set up, Horatio bid us farewell, stating he had a lot of work to do that morning.

The silence continued to stretch out once Horatio left, no one knew what else to say to the Priestess. Sasha stared into her breakfast with unwavering interest, her hands tightly clasped underneath the table.

"I...I remember something attacking us underneath the water," Sasha recalled quietly. That was enough to draw the team's undivided attention. "M-my guards fought bravely on my behalf but their strength proved to be futile against my attacker."

"How did you end up with the sea serpents?" Chung asked gently.

"I-I don't know," Sasha pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "I think they saved me from being abducted by the demons. I don't remember how they knew I was in trouble, though."

"She might've summoned them to her aid," Chung speculated under his breath. In a louder voice, he added," well, thanks for telling us the truth regardless."

"Chung is right, you are very brave to relive those awful memories." Eve piped in.

A soft blush kissed Sasha's cheeks," i-it's not a problem. I-I'm glad I could help."

"You should eat before your food gets cold," Raven suggested next. "I doubt you've eaten anything whilst underwater."

"Y-yes, I'm quite famished," Sasha's stiff posture softened as she delved into her untouched meal. Our team resumed small talk with one another, though we never once touched on the subject of our mission. Sasha, as quiet as she was, seemed content to listen to our pointless ramblings. I suppose she was relaxed to hear something other than Hamel's problems.

King Rod and Queen Daisy (who was now holding two scrolls) entered the room shortly after Sasha finished her meal.

The amount of guards and maids following them inside seemed redundant to me.

The King, though adorned in the finest silk and jewellery, could not shake off the hangover plaguing him. He looked like a man that has barely slept for a week.

"And here I thought last night's _events_ were just a dream," Rod grunted as he collapsed into his seat at the head of the table. He gave Chung a particularly long, disgusted look.

"Now, now, Rod, that's no way to greet our guests," Daisy chided with a playful slap on the arm. "They've come to help us with our water crisis, remember?"

"I told you I have it under control," Rod pounded his fist on the table, the fork and knife on Sasha's plate shuttered at the impact. "They shouldn't even be here, Daisy! They should be rotting in jail."

Chung looked like he was about to say something but Daisy beat him to it," sweetheart, we both know why we shouldn't hand them over to those nasty Velder Knights." Daisy said while caressing his arm.

Rod snorted," don't remind me."

Several maids walked in with a mountainous plate full of fresh steak, fish and vegetables for the King and Queen. How anyone could have such a combination of food for breakfast amazed me.

 _Us peasants should not try to understand the lifestyle of the royalty,_ Eun laughed.

"So," Elsword tentatively joined in on the conversation. The Queen gave our leader her full attention while Rod focused on his medium-rare steak. "What's the problem with the water?"

"The problem is that our fresh water supply has been cut off," Daisy answered, placing the scrolls on the table. "It's been out for a couple of days now. We suspect this is the demons' way of forcing us to surrender Hamel."

"Couple of days?" Chung repeated incredulously. He darted his eyes in between the King and Queen as if trying to decide who he should be infuriated with. "What have you been doing to fix it?"

"I initially tried contacting the workers in the Waterways, but not once did I get an answer. That's when the King sent down several troops to investigate."

"What did they find?" Chung eagerly pressed on.

"I…" Daisy bit her lower lip," I don't know." She bowed her head in shame.

Chung blinked," w-what do you mean _you don't know_?"

"It means those useless knights never returned," Rod spoke with his mouth still full. Chung sucked in a sharp breath at the response.

"Did you send any more troops afterwards?" Eve interrogated next.

"Of course I did!" Rod exclaimed irritably. "They never made it back to tell us anything either."

I may not know how the King truly felt about the loss of his men, but it irked me to see him act like their deaths were _their_ fault.

"That doesn't sound right," Raven murmured to himself. He looked over at Elsword who had the same expression of disbelief on his face.

"How many knights did you send down there?" Elsword inquired.

Rod shrugged," two or three." He resumed eating his steak, seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of the topic.

"Two or three?!" Chung narrowed his eyes on the King. "What on Earth were you thinking?! There's obviously something wrong with the Waterways and you decide to send _two or three_ knights down there to investigate?"

"Don't criticise how I run my kingdom, boy," Rod pointed his greasy finger at Chung. Chung grit his teeth together and took a sharp breath in. "If it weren't for the Priestess playing _damsel in distress_ and the damned demons attacking, I would've sent more knights!"

Sasha visibly winced at the comment directed at her. Speka quietly comforted Sasha while the rest of us sat in utter bemusement. How could someone so irresponsible hold so much power?

"Stop making excuses for your poor decision!" Chung bellowed, hammering both hands on the table. "If my Father was still ruling he'd-"

"Don't you ever mention that man again, Chung!" Rod shot up to his feet, returning Chung's death stare. If Chung was scared of his uncle he didn't show it. Chung kept his gaze fixed on the King's eyes, his shoulders rolled back. "Now apologise before I decide to send you and your pathetic friends in the dungeons," Rod added through closed teeth.

Chung's eyes widened with anger. If his uncle wasn't such an important figure I had no doubt he would've attacked in right then and there. Instead, Chung forcibly exhaled and apologised, turning his eyes away from the King. I heard Daisy faintly sighing of relief.

Satisfied with the win, Rod sat back down on his chair and resumed eating.

"Er...so you need us to investigate the Waterways?" Elsword sheepishly asked the Queen.

"Y-yeah," Daisy snapped out of her daze. "I-if you'd be so kind to fix whatever is stopping fresh water from running through our Kingdom." She once again fixed her worried eyes on Chung. "W-would that be okay with you?"

"It's up to Elsword," Chung muttered. "I'm not the leader of this team."

"I say we help," Elsword said in an instant.

Daisy was practically beaming at his willingness to help," in that case, allow me to give you the map of the Waterways." She clapped her hands, summoning a maid to deliver the scrolls to Elsword.

"We will need to prepare before heading into the Waterways," Eve reminded Elsword as he feverishly scanned over the two maps.

"In that case, you may go through our supply of potions." Daisy offered, though her husband didn't seem too fond of her idea. "Allow me to show you the way."

"Chung and Speka, can you go with her while I stay behind to think of a plan?"

"Whatever you say, boss." Speka stretched as she rose from her seat. Chung wordlessly bobbed his head at the command and got up.

"Great! Just follow me, you two." Daisy led the duo out of the room. I noticed the glance Chung shot me before disappearing with the Queen but I pretended not to care.

"Ooh, I can't wait to go kick some demon butt!" Amos bounced excitedly in his seat.

" _You_ won't be going anywhere near the demons." Raven reminded him sharply. "The most you'll do is staying close to me and _avoiding_ the demons."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just wanna see you guys beat up more of those shadowy demons." Amos went on excitedly, unwavered by Raven's comments for once.

"A-are you sure it's safe for him to go?" Sasha eyed the young Ponggo with concern. "The demons are quite dangerous. I-I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him down there."

"Don't worry, Sasha," I found it easier to speak up now that Chung wasn't present. "Amos will be protected by everyone here, he'll be more than safe following us."

"B-but wouldn't he be scared by the demons? He is still a child after all."

"The only thing he's scared about is being unable to join our missions," Raven corrected her with a light chuckle. "This kid would probably walk into a lion's den if he had the chance."

Amos stuck his tongue out at Raven," it's not fun when you have to be safe all the time."

Sasha's eyes brightened at Amos," you are such a brave little guy." Amos tilted his head up in pride at the compliment. I had no doubt he'd be gloating to Raven and Eve about it afterwards.

"I...I wish I could have the same courage." She added softly to herself.

"Alright, guys," Elsword held up the first map, the illustration on the page resembled that of a maze. "I have three possible routes we could take…"

Elsword wasted no time to explain his three plans, each plan focused on reaching the _Heart of the Waterway_ which was drawn in the second map. As he delved into detail about the three possible plans Rod snickered in the background, continuing to stuff his face with food.

Daisy ordered Hamel Knights to escort our team safely to our destination, the only catch was that the knights were not allowed to accompany us into the waterways. King Rod didn't want to lose any more men to the demons.

After an hour long boat ride we reached our destination. My team eagerly gathered our belongings and ventured into the wilderness, leaving our escorts behind to wait for our return. Chung, for obvious reasons, took charge of the team. Even without the aid of a map, he successfully guided us through the towering trees and overgrown bushes until we reached the clearing—this is where Elsword finally took the lead.

The waterways looked like a rundown version of Hamel kingdom. Instead of clean, white streets our stone pathways were cracked and coated in moss. Salty water ran through the "roads" like a roaring river. I'm not sure how the sea water could run through the waterway at such speeds, but I suspect it had something to do with the turning gears poking up from the pathways.

"What are those for?" Speka asked Chung, pointing to a gleaming blue gem encrusted atop of one of the draw bridge-like structures.

"It's supposed to help fuel the energy to the Waterway Guardian," Chung's answer made Elsword stop in his tracks.

"The waterway what now?" Elsword repeated, glancing back at Chung with narrowed eyes.

"It's a...beast that's sworn its loyalty to our kingdom." I had a sneaking suspicion Chung was trying his hardest to avoid calling the guardian a _demon_.

"Great, not only do we have to worry about demons but now we have to worry about this so-called beast," Speka summarised exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Chung directed his attention to one of the towering stone structures piercing up from the river, water poured from the top like a fountain. "Most of the structures around here have lost their blue gems, that's a huge threat to the guardian's strength and healing capabilities. Even if we're attacked by the guardian it wouldn't be hard to defeat it."

Elsword's tense muscles relaxed," good. That's one less thing to worry about." He glued his eyes on the map and continued walking.

I absentmindedly took another glance at Chung. While everyone else was relieved to hear of the guardian's depleted strength, Chung looked devastated at the news. He gazed upon the seamless tower with misty eyes, his jawline tight.

To my horror he unexpectedly averted his eyes onto me, his pained expression deepened as if someone had driven a knife through his chest. I bit my lip and turned my back to him, following my team as if nothing had happened.

I was growing weary at the lack of demons bombarding us. You'd think that the Waterways would be infested with enemies, considering they'd manage to shut down the entire facility. Though, after an hour of walking, I had a feeling our peaceful trip was quickly coming to an end.

Elsword had led us straight to what appeared to be a castle built entirely of stone. Each individual brick gave signs of fatigue of the years of exposure to the elements. The door to the building was entirely knocked down, allowing us to peer into the windowless interior. The constant sound of rushing water echoed from within.

"Ara," Elsword addressed me softly. "Can you quickly see if there's anything inside?"

While I didn't like the idea of poking my head in to take a better look of the building I put no effort in to fight back. The last thing I wanted was to make Elsword feel bad for his leadership.

Elsword shifted out of my way as I tentatively poked my head into the entryway, shivers crawled up my spine at the breeze trickling out from the inside. As far as I could tell, the _castle_ itself seemed more like a mansion. Two sets of stairs, one on my left and right, were laid out about 20 feet away from me; I could barely make out the different doorways on the second floor.

Up ahead a glowing cerulean gem lit up a circular platform with two paths branching out to twin mirrors—each one was shattered beyond use. Water poured from the walls and into the illuminating pool surrounding the platform and gem—I wondered if it was a fountain of some sort.

I examined the rest of the room and immediately took notice of the threat lurking within the shadow, I quickly averted my eyes onto the second floor again this time noting the extra details I gleaned over the first time.

I was about to retreat back when something pierced into my shoulder. In an instant, I felt my legs grow weak like I'd just awoken from a year-long coma. Elsword cursed as he caught me before my knees could hit the ground.

"Demons are everywhere," I warned before anyone could get the chance to ask about my well-being. The shadowy shapes shifted at their blown cover.

Raven unsheathed his swords in response to the low growling sounding from inside the mansion. Elsword quickly dragged me back from the entryway before unsheathing his twin swords," do you think you can fight?" He asked hastily.

"Y-yes," I grunted, attempting to use my spear as a support to help myself up. I was just about back on my feet when my left leg caved in.

"Careful," my heart stopped as Chung's arm wrapped around my waist. "You're obviously in no shape to fight."

"I-I'll be fine in a bit," I attempted to squirm out of his grip but he refused to let me go.

Elsword swore," Chung, watch over Ara until she regains enough energy to fight. The rest of us will charge inside to deal with the demons." I was crestfallen to hear his command.

"Got it," Chung said, gently lowering me onto the ground.

"Shall we utilise the power of the El Shard?" Eve asked.

Elsword turned his attention onto Speka who looked like she'd just seen a ghost. He hesitated for a moment before responding," Speka, why don't you let me handle the Shard?"

Speka exhaled loudly through her mouth. She hastily fetched the Shard out of her bag and handed it over to Elsword.

"Amos, stay with Ara and Chung. If you end up coming inside stay as close to the group as possible, don't try to engage with the demons." Raven quietly ordered Amos. The young Ponggo was evidently upset by his command but he made no effort to argue.

"Be careful," I cautioned the team. "Whatever hit me has the power to drain your energy. Be weary of projectiles."

Elsword briefly thanked me for the warning before leading the team in, he used the illumination of the Shard to brighten up the interior.

"Are you feeling okay, Ara?" Amos joined my side once the others had fully engaged themselves in the battle.

"Yeah," I lied, massaging my limp legs. "I just need a few minutes to recollect myself."

"You should've been more careful," Chung chided, kneeling down beside me. I instinctively turned my eyes the other way.

"It was an unexpected attack," I muttered, my cheeks burning up like a stove top.

"You could've been seriously hurt," he continued to press on. "Would it kill you to be a little bit more alert to your surroundings?" He added softly. I nearly bit down on my tongue when he gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

"S-sorry," I stammered, shrugging his hand off. My reaction to his touch made Amos raise his brows with surprise, though I could careless of what the kid thought of us.

"Ara," Chung was starting to sound annoyed. "Can we talk about...you know?"

Seriously? You're going to ask that while we're with Amos—I wanted to scream at him. It'll only make things worse when he tells Raven and Eve about this.

The blush on my cheeks deepened at the prospect of the others learning about our little _incident_ last night. I cleared my throat and locked eyes at the battle raging ahead," we should focus on the mission," I suggested tightly.

"Ara, we shouldn't-"

"Amos, doesn't it look like the others are winning?" I cut him off, hoping my interruption will remind him of the extra company we had with us.

"Er," Amos was evidently puzzled at the sudden question directed at him. "I-I think so? It's kinda hard to see what's happening." He perked his head up to get a better view of the fight.

Chung sighed in frustration," you can't avoid this forever." He breathed into my ear. I shivered at his close proximity. It reminded of the warmth I felt while in his arms, the way my skin sparked at his touch. Even now my heart was racing at the memory, of his lips on mine—

 _Ara, if you continue to obsess over this subject, then soon, I too shall want a kiss from Chung._

"S-shut up," I snapped at Eun out loud. Chung and Amos (for obvious reasons) jumped at my outburst.

"Ara, what's wrong?" Amos asked with worried eyes.

"N-nothing," I sheepishly bow my head, I had no doubts my face was as bright as a Christmas tree at this point. "I-I think I've recovered most of my energy back."

Without thinking I propped myself up on my feet, though I found it slightly difficult to balance at first I was, fortunately, able to stay up without help.

"Are you sure?" Chung shot up to his feet next. "Don't overexert yourself, that'll be worse than-"

"I'm fine," I snapped a bit too aggressively. With tensed shoulders I positioned my spear for battle," w-we should help the others. Amos, be sure to stay close to the group and promise not to wander off by yourself."

"Okay," Amos answered wearily, now eyeing both me and Chung suspiciously.

"I'll lead us inside," Chung stepped in front of me before I had the chance to object. With a battle-cry he charged inside, knocking demons out of his way with the help of his cannon. I grabbed Amos' hand and hastily pulled him along.

Once we were safely reunited with the team, I called on Eun's power and proceeded to fight. The fight itself was fairly easy, especially when Elsword was generous enough to bless each of us with the Shard's power. What made the fight difficult was the sheer number of enemies that kept coming our way, even Amos (who was merely throwing orbs at approaching demons) was quickly growing tired at the ordeal. It didn't help that all the demons infesting the building blended in with the shadows.

"We're going to run out of steam if more demons continue to attack us," Chung cautioned Elsword at some point in the battle.

"I _would_ wipe the floor with the Shard, but I can't risk bringing the building down along the way," Elsword gasped in between breaths.

"Chung has a point, it will be dangerous to continue this battle on our own!" Eve shouted from somewhere in the battle grounds.

"Then what do you suppose we do?! It's not like we have any extra allies to all upon for help!"

"I have a plan!" Chung proposed with a heart beat. "Remember how I said there was a guardian protecting the Waterways?"

"If you're proposing we call that _thing_ for help then you're out of your mind," Elsword snapped as he brought his swords down onto a bulky demon's head. With a grunt he pulled his blades out and moved on to the next enemy.

"The guardian is loyal to my family. All I need to do is go to its altar and ask for its aid."

"There's still a possibility it could attack us!" Elsword reminded him sharply. "It's difficult to say who's still our allies at times like these!"

"The guardian is the best chance we have at defeating all the demons! We either use its power to help finish this fight quickly or we exhaust ourselves out!"

I took my eyes off my enemies for a brief second to glance back at the guys. Both of them were preoccupied with hostile demons, though they each looked equally as irritated. I averted my attention just in time to parry a bigger demon's advancements.

"Fine," Elsword complied with a frown. I could already picture Chung smirking at his victory. "But if anything happens I'll need to use the Shard to deliver us to safety before collapsing the entire building."

"I'll take full responsibility for the aftermath," Chung compromised.

Satisfied with Chung's answer, Elsword ordered Raven to accompany Chung to the altar. I was more than happy to hear I wasn't the one chosen to go with him. Our group scrunched closer together as the two guys split from the team. With two members gone I found my attacks growing faster.

I twisted from left to right, parrying and slashing at foes from all directions. I inevitably sustained some injuries during the fight, but that wasn't enough to prevent me from standing on my feet. As I fought I'd take occasional glances at the altar ahead. Each time I looked back I'd witness Raven fending off the demons alone while Chung was knelt on the circular platform, seemingly praying to the guardian.

"Aah!" Amos' scream made my world come crashing down on my shoulders.

I mindlessly turned my eyes away from my enemies and glanced down at the Ponggo squished between Eve and I. An inky arrow had somehow found its way into Amos' thigh. When he attempted to pull the projectile out it disintegrated into black smoke.

 _That may be the same arrow that caught us!_

I opened my mouth to warn the others but a demon pounced onto me before I got the chance to speak. Eun howled with rage as the demon's teeth sunk into my shoulder. With a snap of a finger Eun was in control. It punched our attacker square in the eye thus loosening its grip on us. Eun took that opportunity to shake it off before ending its life by driving our blade into its head.

"Amos!" Eun turned back at the Ponggo with concern. We both felt our anxiety tighten as we saw Eve embracing a frightened Amos, her back purposely exposed to the enemies behind her. Ophelia and Oberon fought desperately to protect their Queen but not even their combined efforts could ward off all the demons terrorizing Eve.

Eve pulled Amos tightly into her chest as a stray demon launched onto her back, its claws sinking into her body.

"Shh, it is going to be okay," she whispered into Amos' ears. "I am here to protect you."

Eun and I both had the same idea to pounce at the demon attacking her, but we were forced to turn our eyes away from the duo as the demons on our side was beginning to pile onto us.

"This battle is quickly becoming irksome!" Eun snarled, staggering back at the additional weight on our body. Luckily, our legs never gave out. Eun trashed and clawed at the demons, cursing every time a demon sunk its claws or fangs into our flesh.

The battle halted as quickly as it had started. Everyone in the room froze at the thundering roar emanating through the battle grounds. Eun wasted no time to use the abrupt distraction to shake the remaining demons off, quickly ending their lives with a swipe of our spear. We turned our attention back on Eve, who was thankfully saved freed from the demon by Oberon.

The ground trembled as yet another mighty roar filled our ears. Curious, we looked back to witness a 10 feet monster clad in gold standing directly in front of the altar Chung and Raven were at. The beast resembled a white wolf, its gold armour covered its belly, head and parts of its legs. A scarlet blade protruded out from its chest piece.

The creature scanned the battlefield with pupiless purple eyes. Its dagger-like teeth poked out from the sides of its mouth.

Chung barked something at the beast, within seconds the monster was pouncing on enemy demons. Wasting little to no time to slaughter all that was in its path. With new found confidence Eun turned back to the enemy demons preparing to attack us.

'I think we might have a chance of winning.' I told Eun excitedly.

 _I agree, Child. Allow us to finish this tedious task once and for all._


	28. Taranvash's Deal

**I wanna thank chainfireball juvia99470, Quackleberry, Homullilly and MemezindaHOUSE (sorry if I missed anyone else) for sacrificing your brain cells to read the abomination my friend and I created. Y'all guys are the true MVPs**

Iron clung onto the air like a snake embracing its prey, if we weren't meeting with the Guardian of the Waterway, whom we learned was called Taranvash, I'd already been outside enjoying the fresh air. We were now gathered by the pool of water at the end of the room, the Guardian stood before us on the small circular platform. His white fur was now stained with crimson red from our most recent fight.

"You have gotten yourself in quite a particular situation, Young Lord," Taranvash spoke once Chung explained our situation to it.

"Yeah, we really could've handled the situation better. There's nothing we can do about it now," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Erm...we'd really appreciate it if you told us everything you know about Water Jewel. It'd really make our job easier."

I shifted my on feet as Taranvash narrowed its eyes on us. Throughout Chung's explanation, Taranvash made no attempts to voice its opinion or feelings on our story. It's unsettling to be in the dark about the demon's thoughts on our story.

A warm breeze washed over my face as the large beast exhaled," it's not that I don't trust you, Young Prince." Taranvash turned its attention back on Chung. "The information I hold about the Waters Jewel is to be handled with great care. Not even the royal family is welcome to know the Jewel's origin."

"That's just great," Speka crossed her arms with a huff. "The only lead we have to the next Shard isn't willing to help us."

"Speka," Elsword frowned at her. "We should still be grateful the Guardian decided to help us. There's no need to be rude." Speka, in turn, rolled her eyes at him.

"Elsword is correct," Eve agreed. Beside her, Raven quietly examined Amos' minor wounds. Though Amos only sustained minor cuts Raven was adamant to make sure he was okay. "For now we should focus on fixing the Waterways." Taranvash cocked its head at her comment.

"Chung, you stated earlier that your mission here was to help return fresh water back into Hamel, correct?"

"Y-yes. We promised Dais—I mean the Queen that we'd help fix the demon problem here and return fresh water back to Hamel."

Taranvash let out a low rumble," in that case, let's make a deal. If you can successfully deal with the demon problem here I will tell you all that I know about the Water Jewel."

"Wow, that was easy," Elsword muttered to himself.

"However," I clasped my hands over my ears as the Guardian's roar shook the room. "Not a single soul outside this group is to learn the information, understand?" The demon visibly relaxed once each of us exchanged our vow. "Now, let us address the problem at hand."

Taranvash exhaled once more as it settled itself down on its bloodied stomach.

"Are you okay?" Chung asked once the Guardian made itself comfortable.

"I _would_ be better if those damned outsiders didn't destroy my mirrors." He rested his head upon his forelegs.

"At least you still had enough energy to help us out," I reminded him gently.

The Guardian snorted," in my current state I cannot help you confront the main cause of our problem. I may have had enough energy to take on some tiny foes, but I cannot go against _him_ again."

"Him? So you're saying all of _this"—_ Elsword gestured to the bloodied floors behind us—"was caused by a single dude?"

"Precisely, whoever sent him here knew what they were doing."

I felt my throat tighten at its comment. I noticed Chung glancing back at me with worried eyes but I refused to acknowledge him.

"Can you tell us more about this demon?" I spoke tightly.

If Taranvash was surprised at my sudden change of tone then he didn't show it," it's a towering monstrosity. It's close to seven feet tall, probably weighs as much as a boulder. Unfortunately, he likes to use his weight as an advantage so one hit from him could leave you guys with broken bones at best."

Raven, who was no longer examining Amos for any big injuries, piped in next," do you think its strength has something to do with the El Shards?"

Taranvash huffed and proceeded to lick its injured hind leg.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was," Elsword admitted truthfully. "Then again, I wouldn't worry too much about that. We have an El Shard of our own, remember? Even if this demon _is_ enchanted with the El Shards' power we'll also be fighting with a Shard of our own!" Elsword elaborated with a wide grin stretched on his face.

Speka shifted her weight to one leg," I-I don't know, Elsword. Someone could still get seriously injured."

"You worry too much," he waved her off dismissively. "Besides, we'll easily be able to outrun a giant demon."

"You should heed to your team mate's concern, young man." The Guardian growled, returning its attention back onto the team. Elsword visibly tensed at his response."The Shard's power has blinded you from the dangers that still exist in battle. You should know better, boy!"

"R-right," Elsword dropped his gaze onto his feet, deflated. "S-sorry about that."

I clenched my teeth at the Guardian's tone. After hearing our struggles it should at least treat Elsword with a bit more caution. The last thing we need is for Elsword to back down from his leadership role.

 _Sometimes a stern teacher is required to help an individual grow._ Eun interjected matter-of-factly. _It would be foolish to teach every person in a gentle manner._

'It's different with Elsword, though. He's barely confident enough to lead the team, we shouldn't damage it any further.'

As if reading my thoughts, Taranvash added," please don't take my words as an attack. I am only trying to help you lead your team more effectively. I'd hate to see the Young Prince in harm's way under your leadership."

"Hey, I'm strong enough to handle myself now." Chung defended in a heartbeat. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth at his quick response.

"But you're not strong enough to face the beast behind this mess, Chung. The only way you will come out victorious is if your team works effectively with one another."

"But still," he grumbled exasperatedly. "You could at least acknowledge my current strength."

"So, Taranvash, I'm going to assume you've already fought this demon once before?" Speka piped in, turning the conversation back to its solemn mood.

"Of course I did. Even now I'm still feeling the consequences of the fight."

"You're always welcome to stay at the castle," Chung proposed.

Taranvash inclined its head," I'm humbled at your offer, Young Prince, but I would much rather stay here. My presence alone still intimidates the foreign demons invading this precious facility." With a grunt, the giant beast rose up to its feet once more.

"We have wasted enough time talking, Young Ones. If you wish to eliminate the core of the problem then I suggest we take action as soon as possible."

"I-I agree," Elsword nodded. Turning back to the rest of us he added," if anyone wants to take extra time to rest then speak up."

"Don't feel ashamed to request some time to rest," the Guardian reassured. "I'd rather have you enter the fight with full energy than suffering from the fatigue of the last fight."

"Y-yeah, what he said," Elsword muttered to himself while the demon scanned the room for a response.

"Very well," Taranvash said once he was sure no one would take up the offer. "Despite my weakened state, I can still transport your team as close to the culprit as possible."

"Are you sure that would be wise?" Eve asked worriedly. Though her comment meant no offence the demon narrowed its eyes on her regardless.

"My healing capabilities and my strength may have been weakened, but that doesn't mean I'm unable to transport you closer to the enemy. Do not underestimate me, young one." Eve scowled at his response. Raven placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

Elsword cleared his voice," i-in that case, we should get going. Thank you for the help."

"If you need a quick escape then call for my name, Chung." Taranvash added in a calmer tone." I will be sure to stay attentive to your prayers. Now, I want everyone to huddle closer together."

We wordlessly obliged to his command. Chung kept his gaze locked onto Taranvash for an extra second before retreating back to join the rest of us.

"Be careful and do not let yourselves succumb to carelessness and fatigue."

A burst of yellow light erupted from beneath our feet, I squinted my eyes against the blinding light. I could barely see Taranvash at this point, it didn't help that his armour was practically glowing like a beacon.

"Chung, though it pains me to say it, rumour has it that your father has been spotted with the enemies." Taranvash's words hung heavily in the air. "Be on the look out for him in the battlefield as he will certainly be a dangerous opponent."

I averted my gaze onto Chung, not caring if his white armour was equally as blinding to look at. Through the light I managed to make out his expression, he looked like a young child who was just told their mother had passed away.

"A-are you sure it was him?" The tone of his voice was practically pleading for Taranvash to confirm it wasn't his father.

"I cannot say as I've never seen him since _that day_. I'm sorry." For the first time since we started talking with Taranvash, he sounded helpless. "For the sake of your Kingdom, stay strong, Young Prince. Do not allow grief to taint your mind."

Before Chung could utter another word the bright light intensified, forcing everyone to squeeze their eyes shut.

* * *

We were transported to what appeared to be the underground portion of the Waterways. It took Elsword several minutes to pinpoint our location on the map but once he did we proceeded walking once more.

The tunnel we trudged through was dark and musky. Elsword utilised the Shard's light to brighten up our path; Eun wasn't too happy about his nonchalant use of the Shard. Though I could see through the darkness of our path, I still felt more comfortable walking closely alongside my team.

"Chung, how are you feeling?" Eve broke the silence gently. When he didn't respond she tried again.

"O-oh, I'm doing fine." He stammered, shifting away from the group.

"Are you sure?" Elsword lifted his eyes from the map to examine Chung. "I don't want you running into the fight with a distracted mind."

"Thanks but I'm fine, really." He smiled tightly.

"We understand if you're feeling upset right now," Raven reassured. "Anyone in your shoes would be shaken up after hearing their father-"

"This has nothing to do with my dad!" Chung snapped abruptly. His voice bounced off the walls until, eventually, it faded into a ghostly whisper.

"Yup, I'm totally convinced you're not upset right now." Speka retorted sarcastically. Elsword gently nudged her on the arm at the comment.

Someone's foot collided with a pebble, prompting the small rock to bounce into the inky veil ahead.

"Sorry," Chung sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm just...I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed."

"I think _overwhelmed_ is a bit of an understatement, buddy." Raven managed to evoke a chuckle from Chung.

"We do not have to fight your father if we encounter him. Perhaps we could run away or trap him somewhere," Eve suggested in a light-hearted voice.

I, however, doubt we'd be able to resolve the conflict with Chung's father in a peaceful manner. If he's truly under the demons' influence there's no way he'll let us walk away without a fight.

Chung shrugged," who knows? Maybe we'll succeed at avoiding him or maybe we'll _have_ to fight. Either way, it's giving me a headache." He raked his fingers through his hair once more.

"Don't worry, Chung. We'll find a way to help your dad." Amos jogged up to Chung and took him by the hand. "Your dad sounded like a good guy. I don't think good guys can stay bad forever."

Chung's eyes softened on Amos," er...thanks." He smiled, genuinely this time, and squeezed Amos' tiny hand. "Like I said, I'm not upset _just_ because my dad was seen with the demons." He locked his gaze ahead, his grip on Amos' hand seemed to tighten but the Ponggo didn't complain.

"Then what's up?" Elsword asked, lowering the map from his face. Chung opened his mouth to respond but not a single word left his tongue.

"You can trust us," Raven reminded him lightly.

Chung bowed his head, finding sudden interest on the ground," I...I feel like I'm losing everything."

His answer felt like a punch to the stomach from an iron fist. I wish I could melt into the shadows enveloping the tunnel and disappear from my team—from him.

"If you do not mind," Eve replied reluctantly. "Can you elaborate on your answer?"

He sighed once again. If Amos wasn't holding him by the hand I had a distinct feeling he would withdraw further from the group again.

"It's bad enough that I lost my dad to the demons' influence, but it's an insult when _my_ throne is taken by my irresponsible uncle. The bastard was acting like he'd just gotten married on his coronation, I doubt he even cared about my dad's condition." He was on the verge of shouting, but no one had the heart to ask him to quiet down. " Hamel is practically being overthrown by demons, our excuse of a King is barely lifting a finger to help improve our situation! Now the person I-"

He paused, I don't know if it's because he doesn't want the others to know or if he's still in too much shock to admit it. Whatever the reason may be, it left my head spinning and my heart racing.

"What about this...person?" Raven pressed on.

"It's just someone I-" he clicked his tongue. "Never mind, forget I said that."

"Are you sure, man?" I didn't particularly like how Raven's eyes drifted suspiciously onto me.

"Yeah," I caught Chung's gaze at the corner of my eyes. Instead of acknowledging their presence, I kept my attention fixated on the inky path ahead. "It doesn't matter now anyways."

* * *

"Stop," I hissed after several minutes of walking. My team jolted at the sudden outburst but stopped in their tracks regardless.

"What's wrong?" Elsword asked in a hushed voice.

"I hear something ahead," I cautioned in an equally quiet tone. "It sounds like...growling."

Raven drew his sword at my warning. He murmured something to Amos, the young Ponggo frowned in response but did nothing to argue back with Raven.

Elsword returned his eyes to the map before promptly rolling it back up," we're getting close to the heart of this place." He said, stuffing the paper haphazardly in his backpack.

"What would you like us to do from this point on?" Eve directed her question at Elsword.

Elsword drummed his fingers against his leg," for now I want everyone to stick close together and have their weapons drawn." He scratched his cheek. "Er...I guess that's kinda obvious."

"I think it's a good plan regardless," I said, twirling my spear into position. "We can never be too safe."

"Thanks," he smiled shyly. "But uh...I don't exactly know what we should do when we reach the demon."

"For now we should just worry about getting through this tunnel in one piece," Raven quickly responded. "We can think of something after we see what we're up against."

"I...I still don't think I'll be able to come up with anything _good_ on the spot."

"Sheesh, stop worrying so much. It's getting annoying." Speka interjected, leaving Elsword dumbfounded at her unique response. "It's not like you're running in there by yourself. We'll help you out if you have trouble coming up with something."

'That's not exactly the type of support I was expecting.' I told Eun truthfully.

 _As strange as her answer may be, her words tell the truth._

"R-right, sorry about that," Elsword said, drawing his swords from their respective sheaths. "C'mon, let's not waste any more time here."

With our guards raised, we proceeded further down the tunnel. It wasn't long before we finally came across the source of the growling—or should I say snoring. The tunnel opened up to a set of narrow stairs stretching down to yet another circular platform. This time, however, the platform rested upon a metal grating. Green clouds pressed against the metal grating, though I couldn't tell why it's unable to rise any further.

It must be a spell holding the gas back, I hypothesised.

In the middle of the circular platform laid a steel-coloured demon, its body almost resembled that of a body builder's. Unusually large nails protruded from its bulky shoulders, its face was covered in a mask that resembled a fang. Though I could not see its eyes it was still obvious that the demon was asleep. Even as our target was unconscious before our eyes, its presence was still menacing under the amber hue of the vast round room.

"This is perfect," Elsword breathed. "The best plan is to surround it and attack as one. The element of surprise will leave it too disoriented to retaliate back properly."

"It'll be a quick and fast kill," I summarised with a cheeky grin.

"Exactly."

"It seems too easy. Why would it be sleeping here without any guards?" Chung observed.

"I agree," Raven nodded. "This smells like a trap."

"Then what should we do then?" Speka challenged, and when no one answered she cursed at our lack of ideas.

"Unfortunately, we may have no choice but to press onwards," Eve pointed out grimly. "Trap or not, this is the only way we'll be making progress."

"Eve's right, we don't have a choice. Just be careful on the way down," Elsword gingerly stepped foot onto the first step. He held his breath as if expecting the demon to spring up from its slumber to attack. He exhaled softly once he was sure the demon would stay stationed and proceeded down.

The rest of us followed one at a time (the stairs were too tight to fit two people side by side), stopping dead in our tracks every time the demon grunted in its slumber. We were half-way down when I heard something speeding toward us. I instinctively halted and perked my head up, unnerved at the velocity the sound was increasing.

"Ara, what's wrong?" Chung asked behind me.

"Demonic Breath!"

I snapped my head to the set of stairs to our right only to be welcomed with a blast of blue flames. With a shriek I instinctively stepped back, forgetting there was nothing there to support my foot. My stomach did flips as I dropped blindly through the air, only to be painfully halted by the metal grating support.

 _Impossible! How could an enemy move at such speeds?!_

I cursed and jumped up to my feet, a shot of pain pierced through my skull at the sudden movement. To my horror, the rest of my team was also knocked down by the blue fire. Thankfully, no one seemed to be severely hurt or dead.

 _Beware, Child. Our presence is now known to the target._ Eun drew my attention to the colossal demon now awakening from its nap. After seeing the demon up close I felt as powerful as an ant.

"Victor, you're absolutely useless!" A familiar female voice rung. I reluctantly pried my eyes off of _Victor_ and pinpointed them on our attackers.

Lu and Ciel were now standing on the very set of stairs we were pushed off. I took instant notice of Lu's new appearance. No longer did she look like a helpless little girl, now she was perfectly reflecting her demon heritage. Aquamarine horns erupted from her head, matching the set of wings blooming from the back of her lower torso.

"If it weren't for us, these bimbos would've killed you!"

 _Ara, can you sense it?_ Eun growled.

'Yeah,' I swallowed, tentatively backing away from the duo. 'I can practically feel their powers from all the way down here.'

 _They have been enhanced with the El Shards stolen from us. If you value your life, do not engage in battle with them alone._

'Damn them.'

Victor practically leapt up to his feet, baring his carnivorous teeth at Lu before turning his attention to us. I bit into the insides of my cheeks and readied for an attack from both parties.

Without warning, Victor charged straight for Elsword and Speka. Speka screamed, hurriedly crab-walking back while Elsword bravely stood in place and aimed the Shard at his attacker. A beam of light shot out from Elsword's palm, releasing a wave of energy into the circular space. Victor howled in pain as the Shard's magic pushed him back, the Earth trembled as the mountainous demon smashed into the ground. I struggled to stay balanced through the whole ordeal, it's a wonder how the metal grating hasn't collapsed on us yet.

"We are not going to lose this fight!" Elsword declared, pointing the Shard skywards. A surge of energy rushed through my body as the Shard enveloped itself in light.

"How troublesome," I heard Lu comment.

 _Ara, heads up!_

Without hesitation I leapt back, barely avoiding Lu's assault. She clicked her tongue in irritation and rocketed up to me. Even while disoriented from the fall, I managed to parry most of Lu's attacks. Somewhere in the distance, Elsword was barking orders at the team.

"Triple Shot!'

With the Wind Shard's help, I was able to dodge two of the three bullets flying my way. Unfortunately, one managed to find its way into my leg. I grit my teeth at the burning pain and shifted my weight on my other leg, though I made no attempts to back down from the fight. Lu smirked at my newly acquired injury and proceeded to attack once more.

I grit my teeth and continued to block Lu's vigorous attacks, barely managing to keep her claws from digging into my flesh.

"Dread Chase!" I never felt so relieved to see a mass of blue missiles headed my way.

Lu scowled at the intervention and swiftly took off into the air, Chung's attack followed her every move.

I didn't get a chance to thank Chung for his help as Ciel was now engaged in a battle with him, both parties attacking one another with long-range attacks. I momentarily caught glimpse of the battle between Victor and everyone else. From the looks of it, Elsword made sure everyone attacked the demon from afar. Amos was the only one not engaged in battle, he stood far away from the rest of us, Ophelia standing guard beside him.

"Spectral Spear!" Lu shouted. I promptly returned my attention to Lu who's successfully gotten rid of Chung's missiles. I had just enough time to regain my posture before Lu bore down on me again.

Enduring the burning in my leg, I proceeded to defend against Lu's unending assaults. As expected, the power of two El Shards made her attacks swift and merciless, she attacked like a famished lioness. Yet, even though I was forced to only play defence throughout the fight, she did not seem like she was fighting with all her might.

I didn't get time to analyse her movements any further as the ground trembled once more from Victor's retaliation with the rest of my team, momentarily halting Lu from her pursuit. The tremor only intensified my injury. I cried out in pain and fell to my knees.

"Such a shame," Lu leered, her right hand morphing into an over-sized demon hand. "I was just getting started too." She confidently stepped closer to me, the grin on her face widening.

 _How arrogant!_ Eun swiftly directed my spear toward her abdomen, unfortunately, she leapt back before our blade could make contact. _We will not die to a scum like her!_

"We will if this stupid fight drags on any longer," I grunted as the ground shuddered once more. I braced myself for further attacks, but Lu did not confront me right away. She remained planted on the spot, a single arm wrapped around her stomach.

 _Now is our chance!_

"Fire Lotus!" Lu's eyes widened at the golden lotus flower hurling her direction. She sprung to the side, the edge of her pigtails singed against the flower's petals.

What I didn't expect to happen next was for Lu to cough out blood. My mind went blank as she continued to cough, her expression scrunched up in pain.

'I was wondering why she wasn't attacking with more power.'

 _Why did she come here injured though? I cannot grasp who would be able to leave her in this state._

"Ara, look out!" Chung's voice snapped me back to reality. I took quick notice of the three blue bullets flying directly at my face, without a second thought I hurried out of the way.

"Lu!" Ciel was now by Lu's side, eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Lu, I told you it was a bad idea to come here!"

"Y-you know it couldn't be helped," she answered weakly. Her legs caved in but Ciel luckily caught her before she could fall. "Dammit, looks like the poison still hasn't been cured."

"Ara!" Ciel tensed as Chung hurried by my side. My shoulders shot up like rockets at his close proximity. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," I stammered, mistakenly shifting my weight to the injured leg.

"Are you sure?" He held me by the shoulder once observing my inability to rest my weight on both legs. The battlefield suddenly felt ten times hotter.

"I-I'll live," I sheepishly withdrew from him.

Thankfully, a burst of energy kept Chung from responding if he had anything else to add. A cry of anguish resonated through throughout the room followed by one last tremor. I snapped my head in the direction of the rest of my team. Everyone except Victor was still standing, the Wind Shard in Elsword's hand had yet to cool down from the last attack.

"Killing a demon with the El Shard's power alone," Lu scoffed, her sharp teeth still bloodied. "How pathetic. I thought better of your miserable group."

Red flags flashed through my mind now that Lu has regained her composure. Chung and I wordlessly readied ourselves for the duo to resume the fight once again. Ciel directed his gun to the rest of our team hurrying to join us. Once again, Amos held back with Ophelia.

"It's useless," she said, wiping her bloodied face with the back of her hand. "Even if you go against us with your entire team we will still win." She paused, waiting until the others were in earshot before continuing. "Although you chose a cowardly way to finish the fight, I will commend you for your hard work."

She shifted her body to face the others, silently studying the various cuts and bruises on their faces.

"Flattery won't keep us from going easy on you," Raven warned in between breaths.

"Oh please, as if I'd want to waste my energy on a bunch like you," Lu snapped. "Victor would've indirectly killed hundreds if you hadn't defeated him." She continued a bit more softly. "Hamel would've surrendered to Karis if it meant they'd get their precious water back."

"What is your point?" Eve demanded tightly.

Lu shrugged," Ciel and I were called here to keep Victor safe. Now that he's dead we have no reason to fight you."

"Hate to burst your bubble, kid, but we have every reason to cut you two down." With one hand holding the Shard and another holding his sword, Elsword inched forward.

Lu and Ciel didn't even flinch at his approach," and what will you do to us?" Ciel challenged coldly. "Rip us apart with that cursed Shard? Torture us before relieving us through death? What different are you from Karis if you kill us—two strangers who do not wish to fight?"

 _What a strange answer to give._

"You killed my girlfriend!"

" _We_ did not kill a single member of your team," Lu reminded him sharply. "Instead of taking your anger out on every demon you encounter, why not focus on getting stronger and taking down the real culprit behind her murder?"

For a second I forgot to breathe, thinking back to the time Aisha was injured before my eyes; killed by my own brother.

"Shut up!" Elsword would've charged forward if Speka hadn't caught his arm.

"They're right, Elsword." She said, shaking her head. "Hurting them won't avenge my sister's death."

"Well, we can't just let them go!" He snapped, yanking his arm free from her grasp.

"May I remind you that we have been enhanced by the power of two El Shards," Ciel interjected coldly. "If you value your team's life, I suggest you let us go."

His warning was enough to prompt us to raise our weapons. I had no doubts we'd still be able to beat the demon duo, especially since Lu is ill. Though, I can also see how such a battle can cost the lives of many among us.

"Oh? You're willing to risk the life of your friends just to take down two innocent demons?" Lu sang sweetly. "How typical of you humans."

"Just because you two didn't kill Aisha doesn't mean you're as innocent as you claim to be," Elsword seethed through closed teeth, the Shard in his hand seemed to emanate with more energy.

"Fair enough," Lu nodded. "But you should do some self-reflection before pointing fingers at others. Last time I checked, your team are wanted for betraying Velder." She added with a wink.

Her words were enough to distract us from our blood-thirst, that was all the time needed for Ciel to take action. With a blink of an eye, the duo erupted in blue flames. A burst of energy pulsated from them before we could strike back, pushing everyone down on their backs.

Lu smirked and raised her hand over her head, "Shadow Bolt!"

A blue magic circle flashed into existence above our heads, the magical aura emitting from it was enough to make me sick to my stomach. Lu swiftly swung her hand down, summoning forth demonic spears.

I squeezed my eyes shut and shielded my face with my hands. Someone shifted beside me as the spears began to rain down, the metal grating supporting us shuddered with each hit. I held my breath as cries of pain rung from around me. Something tickled my cheeks but I dared not to peek at the attack purging on my team. I mentally counted each agonising second, bracing myself for one of the spears finally impale me.

Lu's attack, fortunately, ended as quickly as it had started. Though I was sure the demoness and her butler were gone by now I did not dare to crack open my eyes. I didn't want to see the aftermath of the attack.

 _Ara,_ Eun piped in almost excitedly. _We are not injured!_

'What?!'

Without thinking of the mess that would follow after such a devastating assault, I snapped my eyes open. I felt the entire weight of the world fall on my shoulders, but not because of consequences left on my friends.

"N-no," I breathed, barely able to keep my tears in place.

Chung's face was hovering directly over mine, his eyes were sealed shut and his jawline strained. He was on his forearms and knees, his body mere inches above mine, acting as my human shield.

"Heh, lucky she didn't use _that_ to fight us earlier," he chuckled weakly.

"Y-you idiot," I cried, shakily guiding him off me and back onto the ground. He winced in pain as I set him as gently as I could on his stomach. His armour was scratched and dented in the back, and although he showed no signs of blood I had no doubts he was still suffering from severe injuries.

"The others," he wheezed, curling his fingers. "How...are the others?"

I reluctantly tore my eyes away to evaluate the damage. As expected, everyone was left in a bloody mess from the attack. The only good news was that everyone still appeared to be alive, dazed but alive. Lu's attack hadn't hit them anywhere vital as far as I could tell, and it didn't seem like she laid a finger on Amos either.

"They're injured but alive," I told him truthfully. He visibly relaxed at my answer. "A-are you okay?" I turned my attention back on him, the pain in my chest was almost crippling.

"I think I screwed up my back," he sucked in a sharp breath as he attempted to reposition himself.

"Don't move," I pleaded. "Please...don't hurt yourself anymore."

His fingers curled into a tight ball, "I...I should call Taranvash to pick us up. He'll wanna know about our victory."

"Seriously?! _That's_ what you're worried about right now?!"

He weakly pried open his eyes, staring defeatedly into the green gas below," Ara, I don't understand what you're so upset about."

"Chung, h-how could you do something so stupid!?" I didn't do anything to interject with the tears dripping down my chin. "You..you could've died."

Elsword groaned in the distance, mumbling something about nearly dropping the Shard down the grating during Lu's attack.

"We all could've died," he reminded me softly. "I-I just didn't want to see _you_ die." He voice wavered at the last sentence.

"C-Chung?"

He shifted his eyes and stared into mine, for the first time today I didn't look away. A warm smile touched his lips," I'm so glad to see you're okay." I could barely see him through my tears at this point.

"You're an absolute idiot! D-do you know that?! How could you have been so willing to leave me alone like that?!" I screamed before dropping down to embrace him. "H-how could you let me finish this mission by myself?"

I didn't care if he was a Prince at that moment, nor did I care about the fact that we could never be together because of our social standings. All that mattered was that he was alive, that he was still by my side for a little longer.


	29. The Girl and The Mermaid

**So I offically finished High School today...you know what that means...?**

 **I'M FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (sort of...kinda already sold my soul to the devil, aka University)**

"That is quite strange indeed," Tarvanash hummed once we recalled our battle with Victor and the demon duo.

We were still in the heart of the Waterway, the guardian himself came to us once Chung called for him. He was both horrified at the injuries we sustained and beaming at our victory. After concluding we weren't suffering from any life-threatening wounds, he demanded us to tell him every that had happened.

"It doesn't make sense," Elsword agreed, wincing as he rolled his bloody shoulder back. "Lu, or whatever her name was, could've easily killed us right then and there. Why didn't she?"

"Maybe she was too drained from the poison to use her full power," I speculated, readjusting Chung's arm around my shoulders. "Or maybe she was too intimidated by our numbers and attacked recklessly."

 _That leads to another question, why was she poisoned; and who poisoned her?_

"Even if she _was_ scared of us, her power should've been enough to obliterate us," Raven pointed out matter-of-factly. "Her leader no doubt enchanted her and that butler with the three El Shards."

"Now that you think about it, she did seem like she was holding back," Chung piped in weakly.

I doubt you were thinking that when you initially shielded me from her attack, I thought grimly, readjusting Chung's arm around my shoulder. Supporting him on his feet was the least I could do after his heroic act.

"We should be grateful the demoness did not seek blood," Eve said, her hand finding its way to the top of Amos' head. "If she were out to kill, Amos would be dead with the rest of us."

"I guess Eve is right," Speka's voice was as soft as a feather. She stood partially away from the rest of us, her arms folded over her chest. "We should be glad we came out of that battle...alive."

"I-I would've run away from the demon," Amos defended meekly. "I'm a fast runner."

"Amos, you should know that the demoness would have easily caught up with you," Eve chided him tightly. "Let us not resort to outrageous fantasies."

"I'm...sorry." He said, bowing his head in shame.

"Whatever the reason may be, I am relieved to reunite with you all again," Taranvash interrupted. He lowered himself down on his hind legs and exhaled through his nose," as promised, I will recite the origins of the Water Jewel to your team. You have fought well against the foreign forces and deserve to know that sacred tale of Hamel's prized possession."

The fatigue and cryptic vibe that clung in the air vanished in a blink of an eye. No one spoke a word, but our beady eyes and dropped jaws were enough to signal our feeling on the subject.

Taranvash took our silence as a sign to continue," as you may have figured out already, Hamel itself is essentially an island. Though the city itself is built out of a mysterious white rock."

That probably explains a white decor around the city.

"Before our lovely Hamel was founded, the island our ancestors inhabited the island suffered through numerous floods. It was uncommon for certain sections of the island to remain permanently flooded. You can imagine how terrified the ancient civilization felt about their ever-shrinking island. Demons, monsters and humans alike fought endlessly with one another for the little land that was available."

"Why didn't they just leave?" Elsword mindlessly blurted out. Eve shot him a nasty look, if she were standing close to him I had no doubt she'd already been slapping him. Taranvash, however, did not look offended.

"A valid question, Elsword. The land was sacred to our ancestors. Many would rather die in the soil where they were raised than to risk their lives in an unknown terrain." Elsword hummed and nodded at the insight.

"One day, as a young maiden was out fetching herbs for her village, she spotted a strange figure lying on the beach. Curiosity got the best of her and she went to investigate." Taranvash paused. "What she found was an unconscious and bloody mermaid with a sapphire-like jewel laying by her hand."

I held my breath at the last sentence while others gasped.

"According to legend, when the maiden reached out to touch the jewel a surge of magic coursed through her body. The magic was said to be so strong that she felt she was touched by a living Goddess. The maiden could've easily gone off with the jewel and presented it to her village chief, instead she scooped the mermaid up and transported her to one of the last remaining ponds and tended to her wounds. The girl kept both the mermaid and her strange jewel a secret from the villagers, she felt the jewel was too important to the mermaid to give away.

"The mermaid, astonished and grateful for the girl's pure heart agreed to use the jewel to help save the island. In one night, the mermaid used the Shard's influence to raise a white rock from the depths of the ocean, replacing and expanding the island's terrain. This was the start of an alliance between land dwellers and ocean dwellers.

"In honour of the mermaid and young maiden, our ancestors crafted Hamel out of the very stone that was raised to save the island. You may notice several streams of ocean water running through our city, this is a symbol of our ancient alliance with the sea.

"As time passed, however, it was evident that greedy souls from both the land and the sea wished to get their hands on the jewel. The battle for such a powerful object was the reason why the mermaid was injured in the first place, evil ocean dwellers wished to possess such a powerful jewel. To counter the dangers that came from possessing the Water Jewel, the maiden and mermaid agreed to create a decoy and exchange custody of the real jewel in secret. From what I've heard, the decoy behaves almost exactly like the real Jewel. The mermaid and maiden also agreed to choose a successor to take their place when their place."

"The Water Priestess," I heard Chung whispering to himself.

Taranvash lowered his eyes on Chung," yes, the Water _Priestesses_ are specifically chosen by the last guardians to take their place of guarding and keeping the Jewel pure. Only the Priestesses know where and when the Jewels will be exchanged. Very few know about this hidden tradition, I am sure you can understand why I was reluctant to share such information with you all."

"Damn, and since Sasha can't remember anything we don't know if the Jewel she has is the real thing," Elsword concluded.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," I say, trying to bring in some optimism. "The demons are just as clueless as we are."

"But going on a wild goose chase wouldn't be good either," Raven replied sharply. "And here I thought the whole fugitive situation was bad enough." He grumbled, scratching his head feverishly.

"I still have one question, though," Eve told the Guardian boldly.

"Ask away, little one."

She frowned at her nickname but made no effort to comment on it," how did the Water Jewel come into existence?"

I unexpectedly found myself exchanging astonished glances with Chung. If Taranvash learned about the history of how Hamel came to be then maybe he also knew something about the Jewel.

"Unfortunately the origins of our Jewel was never documented," my excitement deflated faster than a punctured balloon. "Though I have no doubt your answer lies elsewhere."

"That's a shame," Elsword sighed. "If you knew then we could probably explain how the other El Shards came into existence."

"Wow, Elsword's actually thinking logically for once." Chung, despite his crippling injuries, playfully teased him. I wanted to chide him for his joke. As harmless as it may be, Elsword needs nothing but support from us to regain his confidence as a leader.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ dumb. I can be smart if I want to!" Elsword snapped, thankfully I could hear no hostility in his voice.

"You keep telling yourself that," Speka joined in with a faint smile.

Elsword arched his brow," sometimes I wonder if you guys are with me or against me."

That prompted light chuckles from the team. As short as the moment lasted, I cherished every second of it.

"I shall transport your team back to the surface," Taranvash offered, grunting as it rose back up. "Please get some rest tonight, after such a hectic fight you all deserve a good night's sleep."

"What will you do now that the Waterways are safe again?" Chung asked worryingly.

"I shall use the rest of my power to drive away any lingering threats," Taranvash tilted his head up. "With their leader now dead the underlings will cower under my might."

"I bet the workers will have a great time cleaning up the mess," Speka deadpanned. Taranvash hummed in amusement at her comment.

"Enough talking, little ones. It's time for you all to return to the castle."

"Wait," I spoke up before he could envelop us in blinding light. "I-I have one more thing to ask you."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Taranvash tilted its head down, magenta eyes burning intensely into mine.

Butterflies tickled by stomach as I stood under his gaze. I swallowed, suddenly wishing I never spoke up," I-I don't mean any offence, b-but did the demons help build Hamel when the rock was first raised?"

Taranvash stood motionless for the longest time, his eyes never leaving me. I quickly understood how a bug felt as it stands by the edge of a person's foot. If Taranvash wanted to, he could easily squish me under his massive paws.

"I understand your curiosity," he finally said, closing his eyes. "Yes, the demons worked alongside humans to build Hamel. This is why I take pride in serving the people of Hamel, they are the first and only group to let demons aid them."

So what happened between them? What did the demons do to betray the human's trust? I wanted to ask, though I held my tongue fearing I'd be digging deeper into my grave.

"It is a shame," Taranvash continued as if reading my mind. "If the humans were less critical of the demons then most if not all of my ancestors would've stayed aligned with them."

* * *

Daisy was bawling her eyes out when we finally made it back to the castle while the King seemed disappointed at our safe arrival, his mood barely changed when we revealed our victory against the invading demons. Chung, along with those who sustained rather serious injuries, were promptly escorted away to get medical treatment. Since I was the least injured amongst the group, I only needed some bandaging and a healing potion to get me back on my feet.

While I wanted to lock myself in my bedroom and study the El Book, Eun insisted we catch up on some much-needed training. It wasn't too thrilled with my idea of sitting around all afternoon trying to decipher an old book. Needless to say, I gave into Eun's demands.

We found our way to the castle's private garden, its spacious garden gave us all the room needed to conduct our training. The air was mixed with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers and salty sea water.

 _We have grown rusty from the long boat ride here._ Eun chided as I failed to properly execute a _simple_ exercise. _If you wish to perfect the techniques needed for the Secret Skill and keep up with the demons in battle, then I suggest we extend our training session._

"Aww man, but we just came back from a mission," I whined, wiping a drop of sweat off my cheek.

 _While we are busy catching our breaths our enemies will be running leagues ahead of us. Victory can only be obtained through hard work and sacrifices. Now get into position and let us try again._

Minutes felt like hours as I sluggishly carried out Eun's demands; I was expected to repeat each command if Eun determined my form or movement wasn't perfect. At one point Amos, Eve and Raven came out to train as well; more specifically, Amos came out to train while Raven instructed him. From what I could observe, Amos was currently being trained to swing a dagger.

Just like Eun, Raven commanded him with great ferocity, treating each mistake like a threat to Amos' life. I suppose it's his way of preparing Amos for the worse.

"Your form is wrong!" Raven pointed out for what felt like the tenth time now. Amos groaned and dropped his arms defeatedly by his side.

"I'm trying as hard as I can," he claimed weakly. "It's just...hard."

"I told you training would be difficult," Raven folded his arms. "You can stop at any time, sport."

Amos' eyes lightened at his proposal. Although my fitness level was still significantly higher than Amos', I can still imagine the pain and fatigue he was experiencing both mentally and physically.

'Don't do it,' I thought, swinging my spear through calculated paths. 'He wants to scare you into submitting, you have to be stronger than that.'

"N-no," Amos answered stubbornly. I found myself grinning for his sake. "I-I can handle your training. I'm stronger than that, Raven."

Raven's face remained neutral, though I had no doubt he must've been feeling a tinge of disappointment," fine, then let's continue."

The sky was blushing pink by the time Eun decided to call it a day, by then Raven, Eve and Amos had already retreated back inside the castle to clean up and prepare for dinner. I was laying on my back, taking in as much air as my lungs could allow.

 _We are far more out of shape than I had initially anticipated,_ Eun commented in disappointment. _To compensate for our lack of recent training, I expect you to rise early in the morning tomorrow to recover the time lost in that damned boat._

I wanted to state how the intense workouts would every easily kill me, but I already knew how Eun would shoot down my comment.

 _We should not remain here for long. Dinner should be ready soon._

I felt an unseen weight sinking into my stomach. While I'd love to dig into a nice warm meal as soon as possible, I dreaded facing Chung again. It was bad enough that I did everything I could to avoid him, but then I openly cried over him when I thought he'd leave me for good. If I was in his shoes, I'd be quite annoyed at the surplus of mixed messages.

 _It perplexes me how much you are affected by your friend._ For the first time since we got back, Eun commented on something that wasn't related to training or our future fights with the demons, though I could sense the unease over the subject seeping off Eun. _Shall I take over and teach him a lesson?_

"No, no," I quickly responded. The last thing I needed was Eun scolding Chung for troubling my thoughts. "It's not his fault, Eun. I'm just feeling...confused."

 _Confused? Why are you confused; is it because you are questioning whether or not you wish to stay friends with Chung?_

"Yes...er no. I-I don't know," I groaned, pulling at the grass beneath my hands. "It's not that I don't like being around him, it's quite opposite actually. I like talking to him, it's actually really fun to tease him and call him names. And sure, he can be a jerk at times, he can be difficult to be around and he can sometimes be sharp with his words, but I still enjoy being in his company. I feel like I can be myself and open up-"

I snapped my mouth shut, abruptly remembering I was still laying out in the open.

'I really like him, Eun.' I continued mentally, not daring to say what I wanted out loud. 'Not just as a friend, but as something more. I guess I've been feeling this for a while.'

Even in the safety of my own mind I couldn't help but feel flustered at my confession, my cheeks must've burned with the same pink hue as the twilight sky.

 _So you wish to have a relationship with him? The kind that Elsword and Aisha once had?_

'Yes,' I felt my chest tighten at the memory of Aisha's moments with Elsword. I can't imagine what it was like for the both of them in that final fight, to know they'd never get to be together nor see each other again.

'Technically speaking, we could never be together. Our social standings wouldn't let us last long, but now I'm having second thoughts about my decision to reject him, Eun. I keep thinking there might be a chance we could work out. That maybe he'd like me enough to fight against his social standing. Eun, is this what they call _false hope_?'

 _Ara, let me be frank with you. I cannot possibly understand the relationships you have with other humans, us demons do not always value the same things you do. That being said, I can understand your desire to be happy. If you wish to be happy then you need to earn it._

'I-I need to earn it?'

 _That is my belief anyway. You cannot possibly achieve the happiness you desire if you do not take any action to achieve it. Perhaps there is a chance you and Chung can work out, but you cannot possibly know unless you put in the effort to make that goal. At least in failure, you will know you tried._

I didn't get a chance to digest Eun's suggestion when soft footsteps caught my attention. I gasped and snapped myself up to a sitting position only to find Speka had just stumbled into my training area. She looked equally as surprised to see me.

"Sorry, was I interrupting you?" Speka muttered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was now in casual-wear.

"No," I say, hopping up to my feet.

I really hope she wasn't close enough to hear all the things I had to say about Chung.

 _It would be quite amusing if she did._

"W-what are you doing out here?" I asked, desperately holding back a scowl at Eun's remark.

Speka shrugged," just out for some fresh air." She promptly stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Are...are you feeling okay?" I asked sheepishly. Speka's shoulders visibly tensed at my question. She darted her eyes side to side before finding keen interest on the grass.

"Speka?"

A flock of seagulls flew over our heads. Their calls echoed through the courtyard as they searched for a place to rest for the night.

"Well, I'm gonna go now," Speka twisted on her heels and began walking away.

"Wait," the word left my mouth before I even knew it. "W-want to do some quick training with me?"

Speka looked over her shoulders, eyes narrowed skeptically at my offer," you want me to train with you at this hour?"

"Er...why not?" Was all I could manage. I wasn't sure as to why I wanted her to stay or why I offered her to train with me.

 _Perhaps you wish to regain the connection you once had with her,_ Eun speculated. _Times are tough, so I would not be surprised if you longed for the company of another._

"W-we're all out of shape, y'know?" I elaborated, making a mental note of Eun's comment. "We'll need to get back into shape if we want to stand a chance against the demons."

Speka's seemingly lifeless eyes drifted down onto the grass. She tightened her lips together and her expression grew solemn.

"I guess we could do a quick round," Speka said with an exasperated sigh. With great reluctance, she withdrew her hands from her pockets and summoned out her staff.

"Great," I fought against my tired muscles and got into ready position, Speka lazily mimicked my body language.

"You can have the first move," she offered nonchalantly.

I nod and took off into a sprint toward her. The exhaustion that came along with Eun's continuous exercises kept me from moving at my full speed, my legs felt like they were attached to boulders and my spear weighed like a pile of bricks. I forced myself to fight past the natural instinct to stop and rest, drawing as much attention as I could on my target.

"Wind Wedge!" I thrust my spear forward several times. Speka, with great precision and speed, blocked each hit with her staff, though my attack still forced her to back up.

I gave no chance for her to recover from the multiple hits before lunging my spear at her upper thigh. She cursed and was barely able to parry the hit. Without warning, her foot collided into my stomach and pushed me back. I staggered backward and hugged my arm around my belly; if I wasn't already drained from Eun's training I'd be able to shake this hit off easily.

"Chain Fireball!"

I swiftly maneuvered side to side in order to avoid the mass of amber flames flying my direction. As soon as the blazing spheres had passed, I shot forward once more and successfully connected my fist with her abdomen.

Speka doubled back and pointed her staff at me," Dark Burst!"

I attempted to dodge the violet orbs like I did with the fireballs, but my movements proved to be too sluggish to avoid the very last ball. It wasn't the initial hit that hurt me, it was the aftereffects of the attack that left me curled up in a ball with tears seeping through my shut eyes. I can only describe it as being burnt alive from the inside.

"The attack leaves you poisoned for a little bit," Speka explained once the burning sensation finally passed. She was on one knee, her face scrunched up in pain from the last hit I landed on her. "Sorry, I forgot how badly it hurts."

"It's fine," I said, barely able to help myself back up. My legs were still trembling from the attack.

"I guess that means I win. But it seems that's unfair since I used such a strong attack on you, especially since you already look so tired." She grunted while rising back up on her feet. "Sorry, I-I really didn't mean to do it."

"Don't say that, Speka. You don't have anything to apologise for." I told her truthfully. I had a distinct feeling there was a second meaning behind her apology.

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been so rash and-

"One more round," I cut her off sharply. She widened her eyes, though I couldn't tell if it was shock or fear, at my request.

"W-what?"

"I said one more round," I regained my original position despite my body's desire to rest.

"I-I can't," she shook her head, backing away like a hunted animal. "You've already had such a rough day."

"So did you," I reminded her boldly. "Can you withstand another fight?"

"Well yes, but-"

That was all I needed to know before pursuing her once again. Catching Speka off guard, I was able to land a kick to her chest which knocked her down to her back. Without wasting a second, I bounced up into the air and aimed the blunt end of my spear on her heart.

Speka, eyes now flashing with fear, swung her staff in retaliation before my weapon could land its target. Cursing, I leaped off her and repositioned myself as I waited for her to get back up.

The mage scrambled back up, sending an icy glare for attacking so suddenly. I didn't give her a chance to protest before lunging at her again. Our weapons clanged against one another rhythmically, our breathing laboured.

Speka, once noticing my increasing fatigue, used that to her advantage. She fought back more aggressively, her movements were gradually growing faster. Thanks to Eun's aid, I managed to keep up with her intensity. I caught sight of her foot snaking around my ankle, though I made no effort to stop her from knocking me onto my back. I held my breath as Speka's staff was immediately positioned mere inches from my face.

"I win again," she declared, panting. "Look, it's obvious you're in no shape to defeat me. Just give up and-"

I practically slapped her staff out of my face and jumped back on my feet. Speka scrambled back, barely having enough time to gather herself up to defend against my sluggish attacks.

Our fight dragged on till the orange sunlight was barely visible in the darkened sky. By then I had won several rounds while Speka was still in the lead. The salty air grew colder while the clanging metal between our weapons seemed to intensify with each round, despite our depleting energy levels.

Speka and I wordlessly agreed to stop fighting once the both of us had collapsed from fatigue, if we fought anymore we'd risk killing ourselves. We were both equally as breathless, bruised and sweaty. Our weapons laid discarded between us. I would be lying if I said we wouldn't be feeling any pain the next day.

"Well that was fun," I said as soon as I recovered.

"That was crazy," Speka said in between breaths. "Don't ever force me to do that again."

"You gotta admit, that was some valuable training," I laughed. "Elsword will be quite proud of us when he calls everyone to train again."

"I still won't be thanking you for putting me through all _that._ "

Silence fell comfortably in between us. I studied the tiny freckles of light dotting the cloudy sky, wondering how our corrupt world would look from space.

It'd probably look peaceful, I concluded to myself.

"Ara, can I ask you something?" Speka asked, shifting on her spot on the grass.

"Fire away."

"Why did you keep fighting?"

I pondered on her question for several minutes. I wasn't sure if she was only referring to the fight or the past few weeks in general.

"I can't stop fighting when things get hard," I decided to say. "Well, I think that now anyways."

"Huh," was all Speka responded with.

I sighed and rolled over to my side to face her," look, I may not know how you're really feeling about everything that's happened so far, but I know enough to say you can't give up fighting so soon."

"How can you be so sure?" Speka challenged tensely. She closed her eyes, her lips trembling. "Y-you don't know a thing about me."

"That may be true, but from my past experience I might have an idea of how you feel." An invisible weight returned to my worn shoulders. It's funny how our days in Velder felt like so long ago.

"You must be lonely, guilty and most of all, resentful of yourself. You must hate how you killed those Velder knights with your own hands, even if it was an accident. You might even think less of your existence for committing something so...horrendous. You must also feel lonely because you believe no one can understand you or there's no one you can turn to."

Tears burned my eyes as Aisha's face popped into my head. I wonder if she'd be the one confiding Speka if I had done something to avoid Aren's attack.

 _Ara, this is not the time for those thoughts!_

I wiped that train of thought as fast as it came into my consciousness," I-I have no doubt you feel guilty for what you did and I bet you must be thinking of all the different things you could've done differently to change what happened. Those thoughts will only make you hate yourself more."

Speka blinked open her misty eyes, she turned her head to meet mine," is that how you felt? B-back in Velder?"

I forgot to breathe for a split second, my emotions overwhelming my eyes.

"Yeah," I admitted, tightly clutching a patch of grass." Eun and Echo helped me realize there's more to me than my past. It was hard to accept that people still cared about me. This applies to you too, Speka. We care about you and we'd be devastated if you left us. Yes, you may have made some mistakes in the past, but that doesn't matter to us. What matters is that you're willing to change and help us end this madness."

Fear gripped my chest at Speka's pained expression, it was almost like I'd punched her straight in the abdomen again.

'Maybe I said too much.'

 _Do not worry, Child. I suspect you said just what she needed to hear._

Speka turned her back to me, I took quick notice to her trembling shoulders. I wanted to interrogate her more about her feelings, but I decided against it as this was the time for her to do some self-reflection. I can only hope my words meant something good to her like Eun said.

I exhaled softly and laid onto my back again. As Speka's muffled sobs rang beside, my mind drifted through countless memories with the team; good and bad memories. Tears flooded my eyes at the days we could never return to, at the moments we could never change.

 **While it was super tempting to sprinkle in more ArxChung moments, I figure it'd be better for the girls to have some bonding time (don't worry, you crazy shippers, your moment will come very soon).**


	30. A Night Worth Remembering

**"Doubt thou the stars are fire;**  
 **Doubt that the sun doth move;**  
 **Doubt truth to be a liar;**  
 **But never doubt I love."**  
 **― William Shakespeare, Hamlet**

 _Ara, while I am all for putting in the extra effort to improve one's self, I do think you deserve after a day like this._ Eun chided as I strolled through the spacious hallway, eyes glued onto the strange book.

"I feel like we'll unlock some vital secrets if we understand that book," I reasoned, flipping to a page filled with foreign text. "The sooner I figure this out the better."

 _Yes, but was bringing the book to your bath truly necessary?_

"Hey, some people say they get their best ideas while bathing."

 _You can barely understand the pictures drawn in the book. How can you expect to decipher its true meaning while submerged in warm water?_

"Shut up," I snapped as soon as someone exited their room. I could feel a full-blown blush colouring my cheeks at the familiar aqua-green eyes widening on me.

 _Would you like to repeat that again, Child?_ Eun teased; normally I'd be cherishing the moments where Eun would let loose, but right now I really wish I felt my companion in my room.

"S-sorry?" Sasha stammered, dumbfounded.

"I was just thinking out loud," I lied smoothly, slamming the old, musky book closed.

Sasha seemed satisfied at my answer, though she still tensed up as she joined me on my walk to the dining hall. We walked side by side in silence, Sasha kept her head down and her arms folded tightly. She held herself like she was walking through a storm, alone and freezing in the cold.

"So did you remember anything else while we were gone?" I invited gently.

Her fingers dug into her silken sleeves," er...no, sorry."

"Oh...so what did you do all day?" I tried again, hoping to hide the awkwardness from my voice.

She blinked," I spent some time with the Queen. She walked around the castle with me talking about anything that came to mind." Her coiled fingers relaxed somewhat. "Afterwards she escorted me to the Fountain of Healing, I spent the rest of my day there meditating."

"The Fountain of Healing?"

"Yes, it's a waterfall in the back courtyard. Our ancestors believed its waters had the power to soothe a tired mind and or body."

"After the day we had, I wish someone would've told us about this fountain sooner." I joked, rolling my slightly aching shoulder.

Sasha curled her lips and averted her gaze onto the elongated windows, her eyes shining with silver moonlight. For a second I was sure she was finished speaking to me, but before I could retreat back into my thoughts she spoke softly.

"Your team is brave," she murmured. "Braver than I can ever be."

I wish I could've said something to comfort her then and there, but her abrupt comment caught me so off guard I was left speechless.

"I am the Water Priestess, chosen protector of our peoples' sacred treasure," she continued, to my relief she didn't sound offended at my silence. "I should be out there, fighting with my life on the line, and not staying in the safety of the Seikers' castle."

"Well, it's better for my team to go out there than you. Y'know, since we have more people," I reminded her. Maybe this fact will make her feel better.

Sasha scowled at my comment," I can have an entire legion of soldiers protecting me if I choose to fight, but I am a coward."

Geez, I can't tell if you want me to comfort you or not.

She sighed. "Sorry, I know I must sound very confusing right now."

"It's fine," I reassured, despite the contradicting thoughts running through my head. "It must be tough having amnesia, especially at a time like this."

"That and I possibly failed to protect the Water Jewel," Sasha's voice cracked. "How can I call myself a Water Priestess when I can't even fight for the one thing I need to protect?"

"Hey, I'm sure you did everything you could to protect the Jewel. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"How can you say that? You barely even know me!" For the first time since I met her, hostility was evident in her voice. "If it weren't for me the Water Jewel wouldn't be missing!"

I swallowed," I-I guess, but I'm still confident that you did everything you could to protect the Jewel. Just look at how worried you are now, I can imagine how dangerous you can be if the Jewel was in danger under your watch."

"I should've tried harder; fought better," Sasha said in a whisper. "Even if what you said was true, there's no excuse for my failure."

"I...understand." I hesitated before planting my hand on her shoulder. "I think I get what you're going through."

She glanced over at me skeptically, though she didn't bother to voice her thoughts.

"You must feel guilty for being unable to locate and protect the Water Jewel, maybe even angry at yourself for being helpless. Worst case scenario, you feel alone and ashamed of yourself." Sasha's folded arms dropped her side. She took a sharp breath in but didn't make any further comments.

"I get it, Sasha. I really do."

"If you get it then what should I do?" I took notice to the watery streak rolling down her left cheek.

"You keep moving forward and learn from your past." I smiled softly at her. "You can't do anything to change the past, but you have the power to change the future. If you're continuously stuck in one moment in time, you'll never be able to help yourself...or the people you've hurt."

"But I'm practically useless to everyone right now," Sasha answered tightly, slapping my hand off her shoulder. "Like I said before, I can't fight like the rest of you. I'm completely helpless."

"No one said you had to fight like the rest of us. You can help us by telling us all the possible locations the Jewel could be or by triggering your memories. Your efforts may seem small, but they'll make a huge difference for everyone." In a tender voice, I added," we're all in this together."

"You seem awfully familiar with this, Ara." Sasha pointed out with an empty smile.

"Unfortunately I'm a glutton for pain," I chuckled dryly. She raised her brow at my statement and frowned when I refused to elaborate further.

"That's not something you should be proud of," she shot back jokingly. It warmed my heart to see her accompany that statement with a genuine smile.

"Hey, I never said anything about being proud of it," I defended, elbowing her in the shoulder. "I think you're projecting onto me, Sasha."

She giggled lightheartedly before lightly hitting me back, I couldn't help but laugh along with her. It was incredibly relieving to know I somehow made someone's day better without having to slaughter demons.

A small yelp escaped my throat when Sasha unexpectedly crushed me with a hug," thanks, Ara, for understanding." She breathed into my ear.

I awkwardly returned the hug with my free arm," I'm glad I could help."

"And, Ara, I think I understand what you're going through too."

Sasha's arms tightened around me, though her embrace didn't leave me gasping for air. Her hug was warm and comforting, like wearing a wool scarf on a cold winter night. I blinked back the emotions welling up in my eyes and unintentionally tightened my grip around Sasha.

Once Sasha and I parted from each other, the Priestess' eyes trailed down to the book in my hand, I took her momentary distraction to wipe my eyes dry, " I didn't think you'd be the reading type." She said jokingly.

I rolled my eyes," I'd enjoy the book more if I could actually understand the words in here." I held up the novel for her to see better, her jaw dropped almost instantly.

"Wow, where did you get that from?" Sasha snatched the book out of my hand, promptly sifting through the yellow pages.

"I, uh, found it in an old library." I awkwardly dropped my arm to my side, though Sasha was too busy scanning through the worn pages to notice my shock at her actions.

"That must be quite a library. I didn't know people still study the Ancient Language."

For a second I forgot how to breathe," wait, you can actually understand the nonsense in that thing?" I asked, dumbfounded.

Sasha shrugged," I'm not fluent in the language, but I know enough to translate it back to English."

"If it's not too much trouble, do you think you can translate it for me?" I asked in a heartbeat.

Sasha hummed, flipping mindlessly through the old pages the second time," sure, but you'll have to give me some time to work. There's a lot of things to go through and my knowledge of this language is a bit rusty at the moment."

"That'd be great!" I bellowed with a small leap. Sasha recoiled, nearly dropping the book, at my sudden burst of energy." You have no idea how long I've been trying to decipher this book! " I explained, beaming. Eun, however, groaned at my response.

 _Do you have to react like such a child? It is embarrassing for the two of us._

'Who cares, Eun? I've been hoping to translate this book since the day we found it, I think this is the perfect circumstance to jump and celebrate!'

 _Even after all our hardships, I can see you are still just a Child._ Eun grumbled, faking an exasperated sigh.

Sasha giggled at my excitement and slammed the book shut," I'm glad I can help, Ara." She said with new found confidence.

* * *

I've never been so ecstatic while sitting directly across the guy I rejected and then cried over. While I can't say Chung was too thrilled to be facing me during dinner, I was too pumped at Sasha's help with the mysterious book to care. If someone noticed my unusually gleeful mood they didn't bother pointing it out.

"That's amazing," Sasha awed after Elsword was finished recounting our day to her. Of course, he purposely left out the knowledge gained from the Taranvash as the King and Queen, along with Horatio, were also at the table. "I can't believe you all survived such a devastating blow." She scanned the team with wide eyes, her gaze lingered on Chung for a particularly long time.

"Yeah, we're all pretty tough," Elsword boasted.

"I'm impressed as well," Daisy chimed in. "Not only were you all able to handle those demons, but your leader was able to guide you to victory despite his young age."

Elsword rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled uncomfortably," I-I didn't do much."

"I'd beg a differ, lad," Horatio objected from the other end of the table. "If it weren't for your leadership, your team probably wouldn't have been so organized during this mission."

"T-they would've done fine without my help. We relied on the Shard to help us win and-"

"Oh shut up already," Speka, who was sitting right beside him, elbowed him _hard_ in the ribs. "They're trying to compliment you. Why don't you shut that trap and accept it for once?"

Elsword's face was almost as red as his hair at this point," w-what?" He stammered, furrowing his brows together.

"She's right, you know?" I agreed after noticing Elsword's dumbfounded expression. "You did an awesome job at leading us today."

Aisha would've been proud, I wanted to add.

"For once I am not complaining about your leadership, Elsword." Eve piped in with a cheeky smile. "Today, it truly felt like we were fighting as a team. It was an honour to fight under your guidance again, Elsword."

Raven shot up from his seat, his drink held high in the air," to Elsword, for guiding us to victory!"

Everyone, except the King, mirrored his gesture, toasting and cheering for both our victory and the return of our leader. Elsword sheepishly celebrated along with us. I had no doubts he felt equally as delighted as the rest of us.

"I'm glad everyone escaped with only minor injuries," Sasha said once the table had settled down, shifting her gaze onto Chung once again. "My Lord, you shouldn't be so reckless next time. You were lucky the demoness' attacks weren't devastating."

"My armour can handle a weak spell like her's," he dismissed her nonchalantly.

"With all due respect, your armour can't protect you from everything."

"I'm fine"—he visibly winced as he straightened his back—"just a bit...sore."

"I don't see what's the big deal, my men return from harsh battles all the time," Ross mumbled under his breath. Seeing as everyone else didn't pick up on his comment, I chose to stay silent.

"You should visit the Fountain of Healing before bed or else your back pain will only get worse," Sasha went on. I admittedly found it cute how worried she was about Chung.

I just hope she doesn't have any special feelings for him.

I practically slammed my fork into my vegetables at that unexpected thought.

"Oh, don't be so hard on him," Daisy giggled, thankfully clueless of my violent outburst on the veggies. I relaxed my shoulders and resumed eating my meal. "He was just trying to protect his _special_ friend."

All heads turned to me as I choked on my food. That only prompted Horatio to burst out laughing.

"For the last time, Ara isn't my girlfriend," Chung snapped.

"Her Majesty didn't say she was, lad!" Horatio pointed out in between fits of laughter. By now, most of the table was laughing alongside the old man.

I was _really_ tempted to throw myself out the window.

"Oh ha ha real funny," Chung glared at everyone who was laughing along, the fierce blush on his cheeks growing hotter by the second. "Horatio, instead of making fun of me why don't you tell us when Amos' weapon will be done?"

"Sorry, My Lord, you just make it too easy," Horatio said once he managed to compose himself again, Chung scoffed at his comment. "And to answer your question, the young lad's dagger will be finished by tonight."

"Awesome!" Both Eve and Raven frowned at Amos' outburst. "Does that mean I can use it tomorrow?"

"Aye."

Amos pumped his fists into the air," I get to be an official swordsman tomorrow! How cool is that?"

"Please finish your meal," Eve urged. "You cannot fight with a dagger if you are lacking nutrients."

"And don't think about using it during our next mission," Raven piped in sharply. "It's too dangerous to go into combat with a newly acquired weapon."

"But-"

"Remember what you promised me?" Raven hardened his voice.

Hurt flashed Amos' eyes but he didn't argue anymore. He bobbed his head up and down before returning to his meal.

Eve frowned at Raven's harsh tone," Raven, you do not have to be so hard on him. It is to be expected that he would be ecstatic to receive a weapon of his own."

"It's that very reason that I have to be strict with him," Raven explained to her calmly. "I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I need to do what I can to protect him."

The King grumbled something under his breath before taking a large sip of wine.

Speka coughed," uh...speaking of mission, what's our next objective going to be?"

"That's the problem," Elsword said, placing down his eating utensils. "I don't know where we can start."

"We could try and trigger Sasha's memories." Chung proposed.

"And how would we be doing that?" Eve promptly challenged.

"I was thinking we could bring Sasha down into the sea again. Maybe revisiting the scene of the crime will make her recall something."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chung leaned back into his seat as I spoke up. "What if the demons are still out there looking for Sasha? I know we have a lot of people on our team but so do the demons."

Daisy examined my team with awe in her eyes. She eagerly tapped her husband's arm, whispering something about Chung being grown up; Ross rolled his eyes at her comment and finished his glass of wine. A nearby maid refilled the King's cup for what felt like the tenth time.

"I like Chung's idea but Ara brings up a good point," Elsword concluded, rhythmically tapping his finger on the table. "There has to be another way to locate this Jewel."

"Sasha, you're certain your memories haven't returned yet?" Raven interrogated gently.

Sasha's cheeks burned bright red, she blinked several times before answering," I-I haven't recalled anything yet."

"Oh," Raven bowed his head with a heavy sigh. "Well, if you remember anything, even if it's something small, please tell us. Every bit of information counts."

 _We are certainly stuck in quite a predicament._ Eun noted as silence fell onto the table.

'Do you think Scarlet will find this Jewel before us?' Once again, a heavy weight rested on my shoulders at the mention of _her_ name.

 _I cannot say, but I suspect the demoness is having just as much trouble with its whereabouts as we are. And even if we do locate this Jewel, we cannot be certain that it is the real thing. For all we know, the actual Jewel could be with the second Priestess._

'We could ask Sasha when we're alone.'

 _Yes, but it will create further problems if she reveals that her Jewel is the decoy._

"Umm...you could try looking at the Temple of Frozen Water." All eyes locked onto Sasha once those quiet words left her mouth.

"Frozen water? Isn't that just ice?" Amos whispered to Raven; he was promptly shushed by both his guardians.

Chung gasped," of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

"Why? What makes this place so special?" Elsword directed his question to both Chung and Sasha.

"It's a sacred place where the Priestess can live and train," Chung explained eagerly. "Unfortunately, the Temple is located high up in a mountain outside of Hamel."

"It's also protected by the Water Priest," Sasha added meekly. "Er...he's in charge of my training and education."

"This Temple does sound like an ideal place to keep the Water Jewel," Horatio pointed out, stroking his white beard with one hand. "Sasha, do you think you left the Jewel behind before proceeding into the sea?"

"That's a possibility, but I can't be sure."

"That's good enough for me," Elsword slammed his fist into his open palm. "Even if the Jewel isn't there we can still ask the Water Priest what he knows so far. Maybe he'll be able to help us out with the search."

 _It appears our toast has greatly boost Elsword's confidence._ Eun noted; I couldn't agree more.

"The journey to the Temple will be difficult," Sasha cautioned. "There are many demons residing near my home, some of which can be poisonous."

"We have two people who are quite skilled at potions," Elsword gestured his hand to Amos and Chung. Amos puffed his chest out at the acknowledgment while Chung simply shrugged. "I think poison is the least of our problems."

"In that case, I will order the chefs to prepare breakfast early," Daisy offered, much to the dismay of her husband. "I'll also be sure they pack you all a nice warm lunch. We wouldn't want you guys to freeze to death."

"Daisy, we don't _have_ to waste so many resources on these brats," Ross slurred. As expected, Chung was now glaring daggers at the drunken man. "They can eat bugs. It's not gonna kill 'em...unless they eat somethin' poisonous I guess."

"Oh hush now," Daisy waved him off dismissively. "These are the same people who took down those pesky demons today. It's the least we can do for them."

"I'm sure _I_ could've worked somethin' out with those demons. It ain't that hard."

"Now you're just talking nonsense," Daisy shook her head. "I suppose it's time to get you to bed before you get any more intoxicated. Guards, help the King up to his bedroom please."

"Going to sleep already? But I haven't even got dessert yet," Ross whined as his loyal men gingerly helped him up to his feet.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about dessert," Daisy winked, a sly smile stretching on her lips. "You have me, after all."

No one said a single word as the King and Queen left the room, most of my team was trying to avoid looking at their general direction, me included. Needless to say, no one stayed behind for dessert.

* * *

After changing into something more comfortable, I made my way out to the courtyard. I expected the outdoors to be dead silent. Instead, I was pleasantly greeted by chirping crickets and the rolling ocean waves in the distance. I felt completely at peace in the night, surrounded by nothing by nature's lullaby and dim blue lanterns.

Physically, I was exhausted from the day's work. If my head collided with a pillow I would undoubtedly be out in a flash. I, however, had no intentions of sleeping just yet. I still had so much on my mind—and I wasn't just pondering over my status with Chung.

 _I suggest you rest up anyway._ Eun advised softly. _Tomorrow will be another long day._

"Thanks for worrying, but I want some time to think." I murmured back my response. "Don't worry, I won't stay up for too long."

When Eun didn't respond, I began to follow a random trail of lanterns leading into a dense area of trees, my thoughts racing wildly.

If someone told me several weeks ago that I'd be toasting and cheering with my team, I would've called them crazy; how could I ever be on good terms with them after all the pain I caused? Yet, tonight we celebrated and toasted as friends again.

Even now, amongst a legion of inky trees and dim lanterns, I can still relive that brief moment in great detail. The entire team was smiling, cheering and playfully teasing Elsword for his great accomplishment. Laughter filled the room so naturally, it's hard to believe anger and tears once took its place. Even now my ears still ring from everyone's ecstatic, loud voice and our glasses clinking together.

At that moment, I felt so happy. At that moment, it felt like the team had never changed, that Aisha and Rena were still amongst us. Yet, even after all that joy and excitement, why do I feel so sad?

It could be because I don't feel worthy sitting amongst them again—no, I've accepted my wrongdoings a long time ago and it doesn't cripple me like it did before. Or maybe I simply don't like being with them—that's definitely not the answer, I'd give anything to share more happy memories with my friends. Still, that doesn't explain why I'm feeling so upset.

My heart leaped up to my throat as I found myself standing several meters away from a waterfall. Moss and various smaller plant life coated the fall's rocky body while trees stretched their branches toward the crystal clear water. Trees encircled, decorated with blue lanterns, encircled the rushing waters like a protective barrier, blue lights danced on the cascading surface. Kneeling just under the falling water, with eyes fluttered shut, was Chung, shirtless.

I slapped my hands over my mouth before I could scream. It didn't help that Eun's amusement was as noticeable as a sore thumb.

What is he doing here?! And why on Earth is he shirtless?!

Instinct was practically shouting at me to turn around and go back to bed. I honestly wanted to listen to its advice, I _really_ wanted to turn around and run back the direction I came, but my feet refused to budge and my eyes remained fixed on him.

From where I was standing, I could make out the unhealed bruises marking his toned body. I shamefully took an extra second to appreciate his muscles, it's hard to admire him when he's constantly wearing his armour.

I felt my whole world come crashing down when his eyes opened and locked onto mine. My mouth like I was about to scream, but no sound came out from my throat.

He smiled as if pitying my unfortunate position, before gesturing me to come over. I mentally scolded myself for not leaving earlier before stepping into the small clearing. I took notice of the black t-shirt discarded under an out of place oak tree by the shorelines, in turn, I discarded my hoodie and approached him in just my tank top and sweats.

"What are you doing out here so late?" I asked over the rushing water.

"I could ask you the same thing," he shot back with a smirk. "Sit down with me for a bit." He said, scooting over.

I wordlessly obliged, mentally praying he wouldn't take notice of the blush colouring my cheeks. The moment I lowered myself into the water, I felt my raging thoughts come to a complete halt. Even my fatigued body felt at weightless as water splashed onto the back of my neck and trailed down my spine.

"You're wearing the blue pendant, wish I had something like that. It's kinda cold here." I smiled shyly at his comment. I've been wearing the pendant for so many days I've almost forgotten its significance between us.

"Anyways, welcome to the Fountain of Healing," Chung shifted closer to me until our bare arms were pressing against one another. To my surprise, my heart rate remained calm. "This was my favorite place to go after training."

"This place is amazing," I breathed, examining my hand under the translucent water.

"My Father used to say the Fountain of Healing works better than any potion or psychiatrist. I have to agree with him, none of the potions given to me today is helping my back."

I absentmindedly let my eyes wander back onto Chung's body. Up close, I took note of how bad his injuries really were. Most of the bruises were coloured in a dark, purple-blue hue. The biggest of the discoloured blotches wrapped around his abdomen region.

"Are...are you feeling alright now?"

"Yeah," he replied while rolling his shoulders back. "My back's still sore but there's nothing I can really do about it now. Potions and magic healing water can only help so much."

"Is the water really magic?"

"Maybe, no one knows why the water here has such a soothing effect on the mind and body."

That'd explain why my thoughts are at peace now and why I haven't died of a heart attack sitting next to a half-naked prince.

Silence thread comfortably between us. I shut my eyes and allowed myself to relish in the absence of my thoughts; to fully take in the stillness of the night. For a moment I forgot about everything that's happened. The only thing I was aware of was the water running endlessly down my relaxed body.

I snapped back into reality when I sensed Chung shifting beside me. With great reluctance, I pried open my heavy eyelids. By now the moon was high above our heads, its silver radiance churning with the blue light on the water's surface.

"We should be heading back. It's getting pretty late," he explained calmly.

"Damn, I wanted to stay here longer."

"I know," he grinned, helping himself up to his feet. "But we need to rest up for tomorrow's mission. Don't worry, you can always come back another day."

He held out his hand toward me, that gentle smile never leaving his lips. I muttered a quick _thank you_ before taking his offer to help me up. Like a tidal wave, both my fatigue and worrying thoughts came rushing back to me with full force, once again drowning me in tension. I swayed unsteadily at the sudden heaviness of my limbs pulling me down.

"You okay?" Chung asked, now my heart was accelerating at our close proximity.

"I'm fine," I snapped, pulling my hand out of his grasp. "Er...sorry," I grumbled; why do I keep doing this to him? It's a miracle he hasn't dropped me as a friend yet.

We began walking back to the oak tree without saying another word. I purposely increased my walking speed to avoid being beside him, I soon learned it was a mistake as the rocky ground and rushing water made it quite difficult to navigate. It didn't help that my soaked sweats added extra resistance to my every step; I wish I wore shorts like Chung.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Chung persisted as I stumbled on a loose rock.

"Yeah," I answered in an instant, pushing myself to walk faster. "It's just a bit slippery."

"Slow down a bit. You're going to get hurt if you keep this up."

"I said I'm fine!" As soon as I said that, my foot caught itself in between two rocks. I cursed just before face planting right into the shallow water. I pulled my head out of the water as fast as it submerged, coughing out the liquid I accidentally inhaled.

"Geez, I told you to be careful." Chung chided, squatting down few meters in front of me.

"It was an accident," I explained while helping myself back up to a sitting position, though I kept my eyes pinned on the flowing water. "Sorry for making you worried."

I held my breath as he gently grabbed my chin and tilted my head up. I knew it was impossible to hide the shock in my eyes when I met his intense gaze. He mutely examined my face, completely oblivious to the way he's sending my heart into overdrive.

"Okay, at least you didn't get hurt," he let go of my chin, prompting me to finally exhale.

"Great, now we can head back."

"Hold on," he held me by my shoulders before I got a chance to escape. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Question?"

"What are you doing out here at this hour?"

I slapped his hands my shoulders. Chung scowled but didn't attempt to hold me down again," I just didn't want to sleep yet."

"Why not?"

"Why do I have to tell you?" I shot back, frowning.

"I told you why I was out here. I think it's only fair." He said, repositioning until he was sitting cross-legged. "And don't tell me everything is _fine._ Like I haven't heard _that_ excuse before."

My eye twitched at his stubbornness but I made no more attempts to avoid his interrogation. I knew the longer I drag this on the less sleep we'll both end up getting.

"I had a lot on my mind," I answered quietly, half-hoping he couldn't hear me over the trickling water.

"Is it because of your past memories?" He asked, resting his elbows on his knees.

I shook my head and proceeded to tell him about my thoughts on dinner. He nodded understandingly once I was finished," so...are you still sad now?" He questioned, scratching his cheek.

"Yes...no? I don't know."

He hummed," maybe someone said something at the table to upset you. Like the King maybe? I know he's the type of guy to piss people off."

"No, I could care less about his comments. Plus, it's not like I'm angry or anything."

"Or you're just not getting enough sleep and-"

"I'm not grumpy," I cut him off sharply, to which he responded by raising a single brow. I groaned and continued," I guess it's weird to have such a good time with everyone."

"So you don't want to have fun with us?"

"No, that's not what I mean!" I corrected in an instant. "We're basically in a war with the demons and we're wanted by the Red Knights. Anything could happen, y'know? One moment we could be having the time of our lives and the next we could be running for our lives, quite literally. All the good times we make right now is temporary, we can't keep enjoying ourselves while all of _this_ is going on." I paused, blinking back the tears burning my eyes. "I guess...I'm just sad that we can't keep making good memories when our lives are constantly on the line. I'm scared that something will happen and take away our happiness again. Sure, we may be happier now, but everything can change in a blink of an eye. It's...it's not fair!"

I hammered my fists into the water, splashing water into both our faces. At least now he can't easily able to make out the burning tears running down my face.

"I don't want our team to break apart again, Chung. I don't want to relive our days back in Velder." I whispered, my body trembling.

I sniffed and rubbed my eyes on the back of my hand. Eun whispered some words of comfort to me, though that only seemed to increase the waterworks.

"I-is that why you don't want to be with me?" I swear my heart stopped for a brief second at his question.

"I guess," I shrugged, pulling my knees up to my chest. "Plus, you're the Crown Prince of Hamel. A village girl like me has no chance to be with-" I snapped mouth shut before I could blurt out any more. Chung looked equally as shocked at my confession.

Stupid, me! Why did you have to say all of that out loud!?

"So you do like me!" He exclaimed with a beaming smile. "Man, I thought I made a complete fool of myself the other night too!"

"It's not that hard to figure out," I couldn't help but grin at his burst of energy. "If I didn't like you then why would I kiss you back?" I sheepishly added, my voice gradually growing quieter with each word.

"What can I say? Girls are confusing."

"Like guys are any better," I scoffed.

"But seriously, you shouldn't let such little things hold you back." He added on a more solemn tone.

"Little things? Chung, we're constantly throwing our lives out there to collect the El Shards, I don't think it should be considered _little things_!"

"Sorry, that came out wrong," he held his hands up in defeat. "What I mean is that you should relax a bit. We all know the fine line we're walking each and every day, but that should give us all the more reason to enjoy ourselves. Even if we die, we'd at least go without regrets. Plus, we would've left behind some good memories for our friends."

Enjoying our days so we won't die with regrets, huh?

"It'd still hurt when everything...ends."

"I know, but so does playing with the idea of what could have been and wishing you could go back and make happier memories."

"I...never thought of it that way," I admitted shyly.

"That's why you have me to help you think straight." I rolled my eyes at his remark.

"Look, Ara, I really like you." I almost broke into a cheeky smile at his proclamation. Even though I clearly know how he feels about me, it's still nice to hear it outloud. "And I really want to be more than friends."

"But you're a Prince-"

"Who cares?" He grabbed onto my hand, his touch sending electric sparks up my arm. "Look, if my excuse for an uncle could become King then I think I can date someone who isn't of royal descent."

 _You should listen to his advice, Child. It is better to enjoy yourself now than suffer through regrets later._

If it were any other occasion, I would've been fairly upset at Eun for piping in at such a private conversation.

"So what do you say? Will you give me a chance?" He squeezed my hand, those ocean blue eyes shining with determination and anxiety. "Ara, will you be my girlfriend?"

I smirked and tackled him, causing him to fall back onto his forearms. Before he could say anything I crashed my lips onto his. For a moment he was unresponsive, but once his brain finally understood the situation he eagerly kissed me back. He smelled like the sea, but his touch was warm as sunlight. This kiss was better than any of the ones we shared in the past, passion was raw between our lips. I've never felt my heart pound as fast as it did.

We eventually parted from each other, both left panting. I could distinctly make out the rich blush colouring his face.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to pull that," he chuckled softly.

I rested my forehead against his and smiled," how could I resist? You're such a hot boyfriend, after all."

"Sorry, I guess I shouldn't be complaining when my beautiful girlfriend is laying on top of me."

With that, we closed the distance between us once again.

 **Don't think it's "happily ever after" yet, people! From this chapter onwards things are going to quickly escalate. I have big things planned out for the team and the end of this arc, I'm very excited for the next big events :))**

 **And since this story is, in fact,** **coming to an end soon...ish, I'm gonna make some announcements for the future.**

 **As many of you already know, this is going to be my last fanfic (I MIGHT do some one shots/rewrites here and there, don't get your hopes up tho). I'll still be revising Yin Yang and Silver Lining when I'm not busy (aka lazy) but don't expect any new stories.**

 **If you like what I do and would like to see me attempt (and fail miserably) to write original stories, check out my second wattpad account. There's currently one crappy story on there at the moment. If you read it you might die of cringe/cliche...you have been warned.**

 **I'll also be making a new DeviantArt page for my future comic, I'll share it with you guys once I have everything set up! Thank you, to all my readers, for supporting me! I wouldn't have made this story as long as it is without your support :)**

 **Second Wattpad account: CosineSlayer (I go by a** **pen name so please refer to me as Luna if you actually know my real name)**

 **PS: I'm currently working on a very special goodbye gift. It's a rewrite of...something I did a long time ago ;)**


	31. The fate of this story

A lot of you may be thinking, "yo, author, are you gonna finish this thing or what?" or "What is this story about again...?"

So I don't know if or when this story will be completed. If I was still in High School I'd definitely be writing up new chapters like my life depended on it, but right now I have very limited free time (life as a first-year engineer student is rough). I have other creative projects I want to pursue and I want to use the little free time I have to build on my art skills.

That being said, I do want to complete this fanfic because I already have the ending planned. But as of right now, this story will be on hold. I can't promise a set date when a new chapter will be up.

I apologize for being unable to deliver the new chapters, but I hope you'll try to understand that fanfics aren't my number one priority anymore. If you want to follow my other creative works feel free to follow my Deviantart account. I have a few pictures already uploaded, they aren't the best (considering I only took art seriously early this year) but I'm willing to work hard and improve upon my skills.

Thank you so much for all the support for the years I've been active doing fanfics and hopefully, I'll see you again in my other creative works :)

Deviantart name: HopelessAromantic


	32. Shameless Self Promotion

Instead of using the little free time that I have to write the next chapter, I've decided to start a Youtube! If you got some time to spare I'd really appreciate it if you'd check out my channel. I'll be posting "rants", some games, and hopefully animations. Videos usually come out at 9:00 am every morning.

Oh and just a warning, I do cuss a lot in my videos. There's no filter when I'm alone in my room xD

Youtube channel: Hopeless Aromantic

Deviantart: HopelessAromantic

I'll be using my pen name for both accounts, please do not refer to me by my real name if you know it.

Thank you all for your time!


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